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
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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
Those shifts mean that while the reopening of Hormuz will still be significant, prices have already heavily retreated from their highs.
—
Bloomberg, Oc Register, 12 June 2026
Seeking a brief escape from the public grief that had engulfed her family, 34-year-old Jackie retreated to the White House family quarters and found the British royal entertaining her young son.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026
Now, like in the Octagon, everyone has retreated to their corners.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 11 June 2026
After interest rates retreated from their highs and the economy recovered from the back-to-back recessions of the early 1980s, home sales began another fairly steady rise.
—Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Deputies retreated and heard several more shots being fired, according to Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt.
—Reg Chapman, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Cedric the Entertainer retreated to the back of Radio City to scroll through his phone.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 8 June 2026
Thousands of American soldiers had retreated to Ticonderoga after being defeated in Canada.
—Kinsey Gidick, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026
While India’s media landscape has largely retreated in the face of the Hindu right’s fascism, Kandasamy is one of the few consistently at the barricades.
—Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
Bloomberg, Oc Register, 12 June 2026
Seeking a brief escape from the public grief that had engulfed her family, 34-year-old Jackie retreated to the White House family quarters and found the British royal entertaining her young son.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026
Now, like in the Octagon, everyone has retreated to their corners.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 11 June 2026
After interest rates retreated from their highs and the economy recovered from the back-to-back recessions of the early 1980s, home sales began another fairly steady rise.
—Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Deputies retreated and heard several more shots being fired, according to Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt.
—Reg Chapman, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Cedric the Entertainer retreated to the back of Radio City to scroll through his phone.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 8 June 2026
Thousands of American soldiers had retreated to Ticonderoga after being defeated in Canada.
—Kinsey Gidick, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026
While India’s media landscape has largely retreated in the face of the Hindu right’s fascism, Kandasamy is one of the few consistently at the barricades.
—Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retreated
Verb
-
Mickelson, who turns 56 next week, withdrew from professional golf this year because of family health reasons, last playing at the LIV Golf South Africa in March.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
In April 2025, just days after the federal court hearing, the LA County Board of Supervisors withdrew hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for LAHSA, opting to create a new county-run agency for homeless services.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The gunman fled in a dark-colored car, investigators said.—
Seamus Bozeman
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
Hialeah police spokesperson Eddie Rodriguez said Wimbley was crossing Okeechobee Road northbound on a bicycle after leaving neighboring Miami Springs when he was struck by a black vehicle that fled the scene.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The company reported a loss of 51,000 residential video customers in the first quarter, which counts as a massive upgrade from the 167,000 subs that bolted in the year-ago period.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
10 June 2026
-
On top of that, the bodywork is a central cover bolted down with rivet-type fasteners.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 05,
New Atlas,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
Junior Grace Simmons escaped an early jam to set the tone for a low-scoring complete game from the circle, and Aniyah Bailey had a birthday to remember by anchoring the team’s contagious offensive showing with two doubles and five RBI in a 3-for-4 day.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
11 June 2026
-
In 2025, Mycoworks shuttered its South Carolina biomanufacturing plant, announcing a pivot to processing cheaper third-party mycelium instead of cultivating it themselves, and Natural Fiber Welding narrowly escaped bankruptcy, adding to the sense of an ending.—
Bella Webb,
Vogue,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The mega watch party is free of charge and runs June 13 through July 5, with capacity for 30,000 daily attendees.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
-
In the second quarter just now, the Madison Square Garden video board ran a video segment thanking the NYPD, when earlier today, the two organizations appeared to be at odds over the watch party outside the arena, which is not happening tonight.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retreated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retreated. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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