Synonyms of retreat
20 similar words · 14 opposite words
Another word for retreat is recede. Other synonyms of retreat are retire and withdraw.
Synonyms and similar words for retreat
verbMore synonyms
- back away
- back down
- balk
- beat a retreatTo leave hastily in the face of opposition.
- bug out
- crawfish US, dialectal
- decline
- fall backTo retreat.
- draw backTo retreat from a position.
- pull outTo withdraw; especially of military forces; to retreat.
- recedeTo move back; to retreat; to withdraw.
- regrade
- retireTo go back or return; to withdraw or retreat, especially from public view; to go into privacy.
- retrogradeTo retreat or withdraw from a position.
- revert
- roll backTo retreat.
- shrinkTo withdraw or retire, as from danger.
- sound a retreat
- turn tailTo turn away from someone or something, in preparation for running away; to reverse direction; to leave or flee.
- withdrawOf soldiers: to leave a battle or position where they are stationed; to retreat.
Opposite of retreat
verbMore antonyms
- advance
- charge
- gain groundTo make progress or obtain advantage; to gain traction.
- forge aheadTo move forward steadily or to make good progress.
- lunge
- storm
- engage
- fight
- hold one's groundSynonym of stand one's ground.
- stand one's ground
- deadlock
- draw
- stand off
- tie
Meaning of retreat
- noun The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.
- noun The act of reversing direction and receding from a forward position.
- noun Withdrawal by a military force from a dangerous position or from enemy attack.
retreat in other languages
Questions about synonyms of retreat
- What is another word for retreat?
- Retreat has 20 synonyms on Word.ws, such as recede, retire and withdraw.
- What is the opposite of retreat?
- The opposite of retreat is fight. Other antonyms of retreat are charge, advance, gain ground, forge ahead and lunge.
- What does retreat mean?
- Retreat means the act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: retreat (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of retreat.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/retreat. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.