RETREATS Synonyms: 138 Similar and Opposite Words

retreats 1 of 2

noun

plural of retreat

as in withdrawals

an act of moving away especially from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable we made a strategic retreat when we realized that we were outnumbered

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in refuges

something (as a building) that offers cover from the weather or protection from danger her bedroom served as a retreat from the frequent arguing between her parents the abandoned cabin was a welcome retreat from the storm

Synonyms & Similar Words

retreats

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of retreat

as in withdraws

to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable) we retreated to the safety of the cellar at the first sign of the tornado

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in flees

to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening the untried soldiers retreated in humiliating disarray almost as soon as the enemy's onslaught began

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of retreats

Noun

Sylge, who has spent the last 30 years attending and organizing health and wellness retreats around the world, developed this exercise to help people reclaim their time. — Margaret Cirino, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026 The Door offers seven-day retreats, reasoning that that’s the amount of time required to bring you back to you. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026 With a foreword by fashion designer Jenna Lyons, the book showcases a variety of distinct residential projects, from city penthouses and lakeside retreats to coastal sanctuaries, culminating in their first luxury yacht project. — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026 After hours, Neo-Vision parks his body in the bar’s walk-in fridge and retreats to a mind palace modeled after a British country manor. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026 While traditional spa retreats still have their place, there’s a case for dedicating an entire trip to being a beginner, then continuing to build those skills at home. — Julia Eskins, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026 Fortune’s efforts to speak directly with participants in Armstrong’s and Lev’s retreats were unsuccessful. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026 Travel experts recommend cruises, wellness retreats, dude ranches, and more for travelers who want fewer decisions. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2026 The Key Biscayne waterfront compound became one of the most recognizable presidential retreats of the era. — Luisa Yanez october 7, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026

Verb

Meanwhile, Mercury stations retrograde in Scorpio and Venus retreats into Libra, joining Saturn retrograde in Aries, Uranus in Gemini, and Neptune in Aries. — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026 But even as the characters reflect at length on the virtue of putting themselves out there, their series too often retreats within itself instead. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026 Olivia Studio60, Womack Studios, Disney+ A celebrity TV weatherman retreats with his daughter to his estranged father’s olive groves, reopening old wounds. — Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026 Tennessee Williams’ autobiographical drama centers on a writer haunted by deserting his delusional mother Amanda and sister Laura, who’s painfully shy and retreats to her collection of glass animals. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 17 Sep. 2026 The front retreats to the north, but chances of rain stick around into early Friday as the shortwave (small disturbance) pushes out of the area. — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026 Havelock neither retreats to the closet nor holds out hope for resolution via vigilante justice. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 With the bulk of his work at practice done for the day, Achord retreats to the back of the end zone with Koonz, squatting and scribbling something on paper. — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Twice a day, the tide retreats from the shoreline, sometimes for up to two miles. — Kim Foley MacKinnon, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retreats

Noun

Tornado Cash obscures transaction trails by mixing cryptocurrency deposits and withdrawals.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
The goal is to free up enough liquidity to comfortably service the daily or weekly withdrawals without starving your operations.

— Nathan Mor, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of withdrawals

Verb

Popular airline withdraws from three locations, leaving travelers with fewer routes.

— , FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Investopedia made a state-by-state set of estimates for a single retiree who collects the average Social Security benefit of $1,975 a month and withdraws 4% of savings a year.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of withdraws

Verb

Jaros and Rauh calculate that the state will lose money so long as 24 percent of the tax base flees, a condition that’s already been met.

— Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Moss flees across the Mexican border, hiding the money along the bank of the Rio Grande before winding up in a Mexican hospital.

— Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of flees

Noun

According to Gatto, the right traditionally emphasizes tougher criminal penalties for aggressors, while the left places greater emphasis on protection and support for victims, including shelters and specialized services.

— Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
In 2023, King was commissioned by Public Art Fund to produce a series of photographs that were displayed on bus shelters and newsstands across New York, Chicago, and Boston.

— News Desk, Artforum, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of shelters

Verb

That’s a good thing, because the Viceroy flies lower than the masts of larger sailboats and much lower than, say, the upper decks of a cruise ship.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Oct. 2026
The company flies to private terminals in Aspen, Colorado; Los Cabos, Mexico; Los Angeles (Van Nuys); Maui; Miami; New York (Westchester and NYC); and West Palm Beach, Florida.

— Debra Kamin, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026