- retreat
- {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun1 retreating/leavingADJECTIVE▪ hasty, headlong, quick, rapid▪
I decided to beat a hasty retreat.
▪ humiliating, ignominious (formal)▪ orderly, strategic, tactful, tactical▪I made a tactful retreat before they started arguing.
VERB + RETREAT▪ beat, make▪ lead▪ call (AmE), order, sound▪ force, force sb into▪Eventually the police forced the crowd into retreat.
▪ block, cut off▪ cover▪We covered his retreat with bursts of gunfire.
PREPOSITION▪ in retreat▪The enemy was now in retreat.
▪ on the retreat▪fresh evidence that trade unionism is on the retreat
▪ retreat from▪He took part in the retreat from Paris.
▪ retreat into▪her retreat into a fantasy world of her own
▪ retreat to▪an ignominious retreat to the River Vistula
PHRASES▪ be in full retreat▪On the eastern front the army was in full retreat.
▪ a line of retreat▪We succeeded in cutting off the enemy's line of retreat.
2 quiet and private placeADJECTIVE▪ favourite/favorite, idyllic, perfect▪the perfect retreat for a romantic honeymoon
▪ private, secret▪ peaceful, quiet▪ country, mountain, rural, wilderness (esp. AmE)▪designed as a gentleman's country retreat
▪ summer, winter▪ holiday (BrE), vacation (AmE), weekend▪ presidential▪Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland
VERB + RETREAT▪ turn sth into, use sth as▪She plans to use it as a winter retreat.
PREPOSITION▪ retreat for▪a summer retreat for the rich
▪ retreat from▪They are staying here at their secret retreat from life in the city.
3 quiet place; time spent thereADJECTIVE▪ Buddhist, meditation, religious, spiritual, yoga, Zen▪ silent▪I went on a ten-day silent retreat.
▪ annual▪I went off on one of my annual retreats.
▪ two-day, week-long, etc.▪ business, corporate, executive, management (all esp. AmE)▪A successful executive retreat can be a powerful tool for addressing changing business conditions.
▪ women's, writers'▪ family (esp. AmE)VERB + RETREAT▪ attend, do, go on▪She goes on a spiritual retreat for two weeks every summer.
▪ go into▪He went into retreat at his country home to escape the attention of the media.
▪ hold▪The family held its first retreat last October.
▪ offer▪{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}Zen Mountain offers numerous wilderness retreats.
verbADVERB▪ hastily, quickly, rapidly, swiftly▪ slowly▪Sandy retreated slowly, wary of what the man might do.
▪ further▪ back▪He retreated hastily back to his car.
VERB + RETREAT▪ try to▪ order sb to▪The army has been ordered to retreat.
PREPOSITION▪ before▪They retreated before the Americans.
▪ behind▪He retreated behind the table.
▪ down▪I heard her footsteps retreat down the hall.
▪ from▪ in the face of▪He retreated in the face of strong opposition.
▪ into▪He retreated into his own world.
▪ to▪She retreated from the busy office to her own room.
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
