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
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index retreated nearly 2%, leading losses in the region.
—
Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026
Moments later, the agents released the man and retreated.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
The agents ultimately retreated without bringing Pretti into custody.
—Jessica Schladebeck, Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2026
Grant, increasingly averse to crowds and scrutiny, retreated from the spectacle even as public fascination intensified.
—Michelle Duncan, Architectural Digest, 28 Jan. 2026
The suspect retreated into his home, a Sheriff’s Office news release said, and deputies attempted to make contact with the individual.
—Sophie Pendrill, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Back in the real world, Gracie has retreated into silence since the untimely death of her father, and a move to rural Wyoming — where her out-of-commission cellist mother Emily (Tran) has taken a job teaching community college — hasn’t exactly brought her out of her shell.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
The Patriots blitzed Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who retreated backward to his left, trying to set up a short pass to running back Tyler Badie.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2026
The mercurial way in which the president retreated served only to harden European attitudes.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026
Moments later, the agents released the man and retreated.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
The agents ultimately retreated without bringing Pretti into custody.
—Jessica Schladebeck, Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2026
Grant, increasingly averse to crowds and scrutiny, retreated from the spectacle even as public fascination intensified.
—Michelle Duncan, Architectural Digest, 28 Jan. 2026
The suspect retreated into his home, a Sheriff’s Office news release said, and deputies attempted to make contact with the individual.
—Sophie Pendrill, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Back in the real world, Gracie has retreated into silence since the untimely death of her father, and a move to rural Wyoming — where her out-of-commission cellist mother Emily (Tran) has taken a job teaching community college — hasn’t exactly brought her out of her shell.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
The Patriots blitzed Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who retreated backward to his left, trying to set up a short pass to running back Tyler Badie.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2026
The mercurial way in which the president retreated served only to harden European attitudes.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retreated
Verb
-
Al-Sudani secured the most seats in November’s parliamentary elections but withdrew his candidacy this month.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The Doc actor withdrew his restraining order request in December.—
Sean Mandell,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The gunman fled and was later spotted making his way uptown on a bicycle.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Millions of Venezuelans have fled political unrest, mass unemployment and hunger.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Vladislav Gavrikov, who bolted in free agency over the summer, returned to his old stomping grounds for the first time and picked up an assist for his new team and an unwelcome one for his former cohorts as well.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Reynolds scored 16 of his 22 points in the first quarter as Martin bolted out to a 29-2 lead after one and led 45-13 at halftime.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
One friend of mine, a former student, has escaped with her husband and baby to a remote island in northern Wisconsin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Shortly after being resentenced, Thompson escaped from the Harris County jail in Houston by walking out the front door virtually unchallenged by deputies.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Turkey arrests 6 suspected of spying ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkish authorities have arrested six people, including an Iranian national, on suspicion of spying for Iran, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Wednesday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Tesla signaled a major shift in its business as CEO Elon Musk told investors the company will end production of its longest-running premium electric vehicles.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retreated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retreated. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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