English dictionary
retreat
nounPronunciation
ɹəˈtɹiːt
Audio pronunciation
Parts of speech
Definitions
noun
- the act of withdrawing or going backward (especially to escape something hazardous or unpleasant)
noun
- withdrawal for prayer and study and meditation
noun
- (military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
noun
- an area where you can be alone
noun
- (military) a bugle call signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset
noun
- (military) a signal to begin a withdrawal from a dangerous position
noun
- a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet
verb
- make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity
verb
- pull back or move away or backward
verb
- move back
verb
- move away, as for privacy
Example sentences
the religious retreat is a form of vacation activity
the disorderly retreat of French troops
We'll have to crawfish out from meeting with him
He backed out of his earlier promise
The aggressive investment company pulled in its horns
The enemy withdrew
The limo pulled away from the curb
The glacier retrogrades
The Pope retreats to Castelgondolfo every summer