| noun | (military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat “the disorderly retreat of French troops” |
| noun | a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet |
| noun | (military) a signal to begin a withdrawal from a dangerous position |
| noun | (military) a bugle call signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset |
| noun | an area where you can be alone |
| noun | withdrawal for prayer and study and meditation “the religious retreat is a form of vacation activity” |
| noun | the act of withdrawing or going backward (especially to escape something hazardous or unpleasant) |
| verb | pull back or move away or backward “The enemy withdrew” |
| verb | move away, as for privacy “The Pope retreats to Castelgondolfo every summer” |
| verb | move back “The glacier retrogrades” |
| verb | make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity “We'll have to crawfish out from meeting with him” |
| retreat | verb | move away, as for privacy |
| withdrawal | noun | the act of withdrawing |
| receding | noun | the act of becoming more distant |
| pullback | noun | (military) the act of pulling back (especially an orderly withdrawal of troops) |
| retreat | noun | an area where you can be alone |
| withdrawer | noun | a contestant who withdraws from competition |