retreating

5 definitions • 5 examples

present participle of

to go away from a place or person in order to escape from fighting or danger:

Attacks by enemy aircraft forced the tanks to retreat (from the city).

When she came towards me shouting, I retreated (behind my desk).

to go to a quiet safe place in order to avoid a difficult situation:

When he's done something wrong, he retreats to his bedroom.

to decide not to do something, or to stop believing something, because it causes too many problems:

The government is retreating from its promises.

If a price retreats, it goes down after it has gone up:

Wheat prices retreated after a two-day increase.