RETREATED Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

retreated

verb

past tense of retreat

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

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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

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of retreated Lake Washington is a 200-foot-deep trough carved by glaciers that retreated 16,000 years ago. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026 Galliano retreated from public life for two years and was found guilty by a Paris court of public insults based on religion, race and ethnicity. — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2026 Furthermore, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index retreated significantly from the record high set in the previous session, tumbling nearly 8% overnight to mark its largest single-day loss since June 5. — CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 The migrants retreated to a pier where they were guarded by police. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Aug. 2026 With the pocket collapsing, Young retreated and threw off his back foot for Tetairoa McMillan down the middle of the field. — Joseph Person, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 After the show, Wagoner retreated to the privacy of their tour bus. — Michael Collins, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 First Up Shares of Moderna retreated by nearly 24% Thursday on the heels of their record-setting 176% stock surge, which was prompted by promising news of their personalized cancer vaccine. — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Queen Elizabeth traditionally retreated to the home every August, welcoming her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and other guests to spend time outdoors, play games and relax. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retreated

Verb

Fritz advanced to the final in 2024, but was defeated by Jannik Sinner (who just withdrew from the 2026 US Open with a knee injury) at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center.

— Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
In 2024, the DSA’s national political committee withdrew its conditional endorsement of her reelection, citing disagreements over Israel and Gaza, among other issues.

— Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of withdrew

Verb

The Hall of Fame coach is taking over for D’Anton Lynn, who bolted for his alma mater Penn State after two meh seasons.

— Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Flipping the lecture cycle Classically, engineering courses default to hours of lectures where students are expected to take notes, with problem sets and exams bolted on.

— Jason Corso, Time, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of bolted

Verb

In the mechanical maintenance shop, five employees and the foreman escaped, but two were killed from exposure to the chemical, the report said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Simpson escaped pressure and rolled out to his left before firing a pass to diving receiver Brennan Presley for a touchdown.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of escaped

Verb

Junior quarterback Aaron McCormack, who is the coach’s son and ran for a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Justin Slaven, is among the teammates who quickly came to appreciate Harris’ talents.

— Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
The business advocacy group that ran the campaign also denied that AI was used.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of ran

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retreat

retreated

retreated (from)

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“Retreated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retreated. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of retreated

verb

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