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retreat - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'retreat' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Retreat [ n.]
- The act of retiring or withdrawing one's self, especially from what is dangerous or disagreeable.
- The place to which anyone retires; a place or privacy or safety; a refuge; an asylum.
- The retiring of an army or body of men from the face of an enemy, or from any ground occupied to a greater distance from the enemy, or from an advanced position.
- The withdrawing of a ship or fleet from an enemy for the purpose of avoiding an engagement or escaping after defeat.
- A signal given in the army or navy, by the beat of a drum or the sounding of trumpet or bugle, at sunset (when the roll is called), or for retiring from action.
- A special season of solitude and silence to engage in religious exercises.
- A period of several days of withdrawal from society to a religious house for exclusive occupation in the duties of devotion; as, to appoint or observe a retreat.
2 . Retreat [ v. i.]
- To make a retreat; to retire from any position or place; to withdraw; as, the defeated army retreated from the field.

Meaning of 'retreat' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . retreat [ n]
Meaning (1):
- (military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
Example in sentence:
  • the disorderly retreat of French troops
Meaning (2):
- withdrawal for prayer and study and meditation
Example in sentence:
  • the religious retreat is a form of vacation activity
3 . retreat [ v]
Meaning (3):
- make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity
Example in sentence:
  • He backed out of his earlier promise;
  • The aggressive investment company pulled in its horns;
  • We'll have to crawfish out from meeting with him
Meaning (4):
- pull back or move away or backward
Example in sentence:
  • The enemy withdrew;
  • The limo pulled away from the curb
Meaning (5):
- move back
Example in sentence:
  • The glacier retrogrades
Meaning (6):
- move away, as for privacy
Example in sentence:
  • The Pope retreats to Castelgondolfo every summer

Nearby Words:

ret retable retail retailed retailer retailing retailment retain retainable retainal

See 'retreat' also in:

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