1
as in withdrew
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)
we retreated to the safety of the cellar at the first sign of the tornado
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fled
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the untried soldiers retreated in humiliating disarray almost as soon as the enemy's onslaught began
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of retreated
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, has retreated from the near-$120 per barrel seen earlier in the week, as the International Energy Agency agreed on Wednesday to release a record 400 million barrels of oil from its emergency reserves.
—
Hugh Leask, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2026
O’Brien has not retreated from public life.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 12 Mar. 2026
Eventually, Brown retreated to the locker room, leaving the Celtics to fend for themselves against an ignited Wembanyama.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The stock market has retreated, but not dramatically enough to imply that Wall Street is penciling in an imminent downturn.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
On her island home in the South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, the shoreline has visibly retreated within her short lifetime, with beaches eroded, coastal trees uprooted and some homes now barely 3 feet from the sea at high tide.
—CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
The real horror in Frankenstein was a brilliant man who unleashed power and retreated from accountability.
—Tom Debley, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
The most dramatic changes occurred in the Amundsen Sea and the Getz section in West Antarctica, where glaciers retreated up to 25 miles.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 5 Mar. 2026
In that area, several ice shelves collapsed before the study period and multiple glaciers have since retreated significantly, but researchers lack clear evidence that warm ocean water is driving the change.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Hugh Leask, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2026
O’Brien has not retreated from public life.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 12 Mar. 2026
Eventually, Brown retreated to the locker room, leaving the Celtics to fend for themselves against an ignited Wembanyama.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The stock market has retreated, but not dramatically enough to imply that Wall Street is penciling in an imminent downturn.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
On her island home in the South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, the shoreline has visibly retreated within her short lifetime, with beaches eroded, coastal trees uprooted and some homes now barely 3 feet from the sea at high tide.
—CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
The real horror in Frankenstein was a brilliant man who unleashed power and retreated from accountability.
—Tom Debley, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
The most dramatic changes occurred in the Amundsen Sea and the Getz section in West Antarctica, where glaciers retreated up to 25 miles.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 5 Mar. 2026
In that area, several ice shelves collapsed before the study period and multiple glaciers have since retreated significantly, but researchers lack clear evidence that warm ocean water is driving the change.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retreated
Verb
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Actor Issa Rae and author Louise Penny also withdrew from appearances while consultants such as musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming resigned.—
Steven Sloan,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
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After the embassy contacted families, about two-thirds of the students — roughly 250 children, including around 100 Americans — withdrew from the school and returned to their home countries, according to parents and a person familiar with the investigation.—
Mark Banchereau,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Between 600,000 and 1 million households have been displaced within the country, most of which have fled from Tehran and other urban areas and gone to the north or to rural areas, the agency said.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 Mar. 2026
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After losing the Chinese Civil War to Mao and his Communist forces, the Nationalist government and its supporters fled in 1949 to the island of Taiwan and continued to rule as the Republic of China’s government in exile.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Center Tyler Linderbaum, who made the Pro Bowl three times in four years after the Ravens picked him in the first round in 2022, bolted to Las Vegas.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Ye bolted at the door, stopping only a couple of seconds at the sidewalk to sign a pair of sneakers for a fan who’d been waiting outside all day.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nikki and Scott Hanger also barely escaped the tornado’s path, their daughter-in-law Jill Hanger said Wednesday afternoon.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
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The two children, ages 10 and 8, escaped the March 2 encounter in the 17000 block of County Road 97 and told their parents, who called authorities, sheriff’s officials said.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Ben Wang delivers a breakthrough performance in the title role as a kid who tries to conquer his anxiety issues head-on by running for class president.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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That significantly lowers the bill for users running OpenClaw.—
Evelyn Cheng,Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retreated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retreated. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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