The army had to retreat.
Source: tatoeba (237784)
Retreat
/ɹɪˈtɹiːt/
Synonyms for "retreat" (436 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (88)
Verb(15 words)
back awaycrawfishdraw backrecederetireretrogradewithdrawback downback outbackpedaledbalkbeat a retreatbug outconcede groundcrawfish out
Noun(22 words)
Strong matches (130)
cubbyholecupdark cornerdebatedecampdecampmentdecelerationdeclensiondeclinedecline and falldecrescendodeliberatedemurdendepartdeparturedescenddetachmentdie awaydiminish
Show 90 more words
diminuendodipdisappeardisengagedisengagementdishdivedodgedowntrenddownturndrawdraw backdraw offdrift awaydropduckdugoutdwindledwindlingebbegressescapeevacuateevacuationevadeevasionexitexodusfadefade awayfallfall awayfall backfall offfallbackfalterfearfleeflightflinchflyfoster homefoxholefunk holegazebogetawaygivegive backgive groundgive placegiving ingiving overgiving upglasshousegogo awaygo backgo downhillgo uphillgoinggradegreenhousehalfway househang backharborharboragehavenhegirahem and hawhermitagehesitatehideawayhideouthidey holehidinghiding placeholehollowholy of holieshomehospicehospitiumhoverhum and hawinclineincurveisolationisolationismivory towerjib
Noun(13 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Related words (218)
jim crowkeelkiosklairlapselathhouseleanleaveleavinglistlose groundmewmove awaymove backmove offnestnichenooknursing homeorphanage
Show 125 more words
partingpassingpausepergolapitchplungeponderpoor farmpoorhouseportprivacyprivatismprivatizationpullpull awaypull backpull outpullbackpulloutquailquarantinequitrakerecederecedencerecedingrecessrecessionreclusionrecoilreculadereelreel backrefugerelapserelinquishmentremissionremovalremoverenunciationresortrest homeretireretirementretractretractationretractilityretractionretrocederetrocedenceretrograderiseroutrun awayrun backrusticationsanctuarysanctumsanctum sanctorumscrupleseclusionsecrecysecret placesegregationseparationsequestrationsheer offsheltershelveshilly shallyshilly-shallyshrinkshrink backshysidestepsidesteppingsidlesinkslantslopeslowdownslumpsolitudesplendid isolationstand backstand offstartstart asidestart backstashstick atsticklestop to considerstraddle the fencestrainstrain atstudysubsidencesummerhousesurrenderswagswayswervetake flightthink twicethink twice abouttilttipturn asideturn tailundercovertuprisevacatevanishwalkoutwaneweaselweasel outwiden the distancewincewithdrawwithdrawalwithdrawmentworkhouseyield
Adjective(2 words)
military retreatwithdrawn
Verb(24 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: back away, crawfish, draw back, hideaway, recede.
- Sentence evidence is available for retreat, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "retreat".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "retreat"
Keep "retreat" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "retreat" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "retreat", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "retreat" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
46 entriesareaassemblybreakbreak offbugle callceasecease participationchangechange locationcombat actioncountrydiscontinuedraw backeventexclamationexpression
Showing 16 of 46 words.
More specific
23 entriesabandonmentabdicationback off cuebacktrackcoastal retreatglacier retreatintroversionisolationmonastic cellpause cueplanning retreatrecederecoilreligious retreatresignationseclusion
Showing 16 of 23 words.
Collocations
13 entriesmass retreatmilitary retreatoffsite retreatpsychological retreatpublic retreatreligious retreatretreat centerretreat orderretreat strategyretreat to safetysilent retreatstaff retreatstrategic retreat
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
7 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
12 entriesTranslations
58 translations across 35 languages.
Arabic
2 entries- اِنْسِحَاب noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- تَرَاجُع noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Armenian
1 entries- նահանջ noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Azerbaijani
2 entries- geriyə çəkilmə noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- geriçəkilmə noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Belarusian
3 entries- адступле́нне noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- адступле́ньне noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- вы́вад noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Bulgarian
1 entries- отстъпле́ние noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Chinese Mandarin
3 entries- 後退 /后退 noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- 撤退 noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- 退卻 /退却 noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Czech
1 entries- ústup noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Dutch
3 entries- aftocht noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- terugtocht noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- terugtrekking noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Esperanto
1 entries- retiriĝo noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Finnish
1 entries- perääntyminen noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
French
1 entries- retraite noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
German
1 entries- Rückzug noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Greek
1 entries- υποχώρηση noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Hungarian
1 entries- visszavonulás noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Indonesian
1 entries- mundur noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Italian
3 entries- arretramento noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- ripiegamento noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- ritirata noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Japanese
3 entries- 後退 noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- 撤退 noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- 退却 noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Korean
3 entries- 철수 noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- 퇴각 noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- 후퇴 noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Latin
1 entries- recessus noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Macedonian
1 entries- повлекување noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Māori
2 entries- taui noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- tauitanga noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Norwegian Bokmål
3 entries- retrett noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- tilbaketrekking noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- tilbaketrekning noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Norwegian Nynorsk
2 entries- retrett noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- tilbaketrekking noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Persian
1 entries- عقبنشینی noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Polish
2 entries- odwrót noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- wycofanie noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Portuguese
1 entries- retirada noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Romanian
1 entries- retragere noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Russian
2 entries- вы́вод noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- отступле́ние noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- povláčēnje noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- повла́че̄ње noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Slovak
1 entries- ústup noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Slovene
1 entries- umik noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Spanish
2 entries- repliegue noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- retirada noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Tajik
1 entries- ақибнишинӣ noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Turkish
1 entries- geri çekilme noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Ukrainian
2 entries- ви́ведення noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
- ві́дступ noun (act of pulling back or withdrawing)
Sample sentences
27 total sentences available.
I was uncertain whether to advance or to retreat.
Source: tatoeba (269844)
The trumpets sounded the retreat.
Source: tatoeba (275355)
He decided neither to advance nor to retreat.
Source: tatoeba (300719)
Showing 4 of 27 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "retreat"?
Closest matches include back away, crawfish, draw back, hideaway, recede.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "retreat"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.