[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/retreat.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / retreat

[← R](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/R/)

# retreat

«retreat» in Mova's school dictionary: **To move back or away, especially from danger or an enemy** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (retreat, retreats, retreated, retreating); noun (a retreat, retreats)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To move back or away, especially from danger or an enemy. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retreat/#m1)

2) (noun) The act of moving back. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retreat/#m2)

3) (noun) A quiet place where you go to rest or be alone. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retreat/#m3)

4) To change your mind and stop saying or doing something: retreat from a promise. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retreat/#m4)

5) (noun) A short stay away from normal life for rest, prayer or planning. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retreat/#m5)

### sense in the lessons

In history and stories an army retreats when it is losing. In science and geography glaciers and tides retreat (move back). In everyday life a retreat can be a cosy hideaway. Phrases: beat a retreat, in full retreat, a weekend retreat.

### examples

- The soldiers retreated behind the hill. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retreat/#x1)
- The tide retreats twice a day. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retreat/#x2)
- The cat retreated under the bed during the storm. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retreat/#x3)
- The tree house is my secret retreat. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retreat/#x4)
- The glacier has retreated a long way. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retreat/#x5)
- When the dog barked, we beat a hasty retreat. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retreat/#x6)
- The teachers went on a planning retreat. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retreat/#x7)
- And he pretended to retreat, turning away the head of his horse. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retreat/#x8)

### note

Opposite of advance. Regular verb: retreated. In maths and physics problems, an object that retreats moves backwards, so its distance from the start gets smaller.

### In the corpora

- ["Strategic withdrawal" is the official way to say an army retreated.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/26-war-and-the-military/16/)
- ["Tactical redeployment" is military jargon for a retreat.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/26-war-and-the-military/17/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «retreat» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retreat/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.