1
as in to settle
to go to one's bed in order to sleep
I'm exhausted, so I think I'll retire for the evening
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to sack
to let go from office, service, or employment
as a part of its restructuring, the company has begun to retire its older employees
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to withdraw
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)
the insurgents have retired to the outskirts of the city, but appear to be readying themselves for another offensive
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of retire
Russia is actively developing its own space station, known as the Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS), to succeed the ISS, which is set to retire in 2030.
—
Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025
Pollard retired as ServiceMaster’s chairman in 2002.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
Williamson, Kirby and Beth Mead missed out with injury, while significant figures in the squad, such as Ellen White and Jill Scott, retired after winning Euro 2022.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 6 June 2025
Dragon 1 provided cargo service to the ISS for 10 years, between 2012 and 2020, before it was retired.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for retire
Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025
Pollard retired as ServiceMaster’s chairman in 2002.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
Williamson, Kirby and Beth Mead missed out with injury, while significant figures in the squad, such as Ellen White and Jill Scott, retired after winning Euro 2022.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 6 June 2025
Dragon 1 provided cargo service to the ISS for 10 years, between 2012 and 2020, before it was retired.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for retire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retire
Verb
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With the Yankees and Red Sox knotted up, the rivals will look to settle their first series of the season on Sunday Night Baseball.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
8 June 2025
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President Donald Trump credited the National Guard on Sunday for settling the protests against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in California.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
8 June 2025
Verb
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The Vandals sacked Rome in 455 — after Pope Leo cut a deal to prevent the city from being burned to the ground.—
Bill Speros,
Boston Herald,
12 June 2025
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Tudor had been appointed as the club’s caretaker manager after Thiago Motta was sacked in March following two heavy defeats against Fiorentina and Atalanta.—
Emmet Gates,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Verb
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Related article The world’s second-largest gold storage suddenly has very long lines to withdraw bars As bonds have been volatile and the dollar has weakened amid tariff turmoil, weird investments like silver and platinum have emerged as a way to hedge against the tremendous uncertainty.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
12 June 2025
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Hardwick began to withdraw from his close circle of friends.—
Martin Padgett
June 12,
Literary Hub,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Ralph Fiennes’s concierge is the director’s natural surrogate, the behind-the-scenes guy who tends to every detail of the hotel’s operation while going to extraordinary lengths to please the guests, even if that means bedding octogenarians.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
7 June 2025
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Dress your bed with percale sheets Aside from hotel bedding mainstays like fluffy comforters, one of the signature elements of a hotel room is a percale sheet set.—
Jacorey Moon,
Architectural Digest,
3 June 2025
Verb
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For example, recent reports about the potential for automotive production to be curtailed due to rare earth mineral shortages should not be dismissed.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
6 June 2025
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He was dismissed at the end of his two-year probationary period under the Biden administration.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The soldiers fired warning shots and then opened fire when the suspects would not retreat, according to the IDF.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2025
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Also, market reaction to further tariff moves may cause Trump to retreat to the point that the effect of any tariff actions is fairly nominal.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Babies can spend up to 18 hours a day sleeping, meaning their contact with mattresses is prolonged and intimate.—
Arlene Blum,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Our store started as a bedtime story one night when my son was a toddler who couldn't sleep.—
American Booksellers Association,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Backstage at Georgie’s Alibi Monkey Bar, a popular LGBTQ club in Wilton Manors, Jacob Smith carefully removed his gravity-defying, bejeweled blonde wig and light pink costume.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2025
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The reality was never in doubt, though, that very few of the trees removed from Oakmont were organic to the original 1903 course design.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retire. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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