retreat
To move back or away, especially from danger.
retreat in a sentence
- When the tide came in, we had to retreat up the beach.
- The army was forced to retreat when fresh enemy soldiers arrived.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to retreat?
- Aapproach
- Bwithdraw
- Cadvance
- Dcharge
Show the answer
B: withdraw. The other three mean the opposite of retreat.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to retreat?
- Awithdraw
- Bflee
- Cadvance
Show the answer
C: advance. The other three mean nearly the same as retreat.
Words that mean something similar
withdraw, flee
Words that mean the opposite
advance, charge, approach
Careful: retreat is not flee
Flee is running away in a panic. Retreat is stepping back, often by choice. Read why children mix them up.
More words about movement & action
- retrieve: To go and get something back.
- revolt: To rise up and fight against the people in charge.
- rigid: Stiff and impossible to bend, or very strict.
- roam: To wander around freely with no fixed plan.
- ruffle: To make something messy or to upset someone slightly.
- rummage: To search for something by moving things around in a messy way.
- rupture: To burst or break apart suddenly.
- salvage: To save something useful from a wreck or disaster.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test