What is the difference between retreat and withdraw?
retreat | withdraw |
The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.
* Shakespeare
The act of reversing direction and receding from a forward position.
A peaceful, quiet place affording privacy or security.
* L'Estrange
* Dryden
A period of retirement, seclusion, or solitude.
A period of meditation, prayer or study.
Withdrawal by military force from a dangerous position or from enemy attack.
A signal for a military withdrawal.
A bugle call or drumbeat signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset, as on a military base.
A military ceremony to lower the flag.
(chess) The move of a piece from a threatened position.
To pull (something) back, aside, or away.
* Hooker
To take back (a comment, etc).
To remove, to stop providing (one's support, etc).
To extract (money from an account).
To retreat.
To be in withdrawal from an addictive drug etc.
* 1994 , (Edward St Aubyn), Bad News , Picador 2006, p. 201:
As verbs the difference between retreat and withdraw
is that retreat is to withdraw military forces while withdraw is to pull (something) back, aside, or away.As a noun retreat
is the act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.retreat
English
Noun
(en noun)- In a retreat he outruns any lackey.
- He built his son a house of pleasure, and spared no cost to make a delicious retreat .
- That pleasing shade they sought, a soft retreat / From sudden April showers, a shelter from the heat.
See also
* religious retreatAnagrams
* *withdraw
English
Verb
- Impossible it is that God should withdraw his presence from anything.
- to withdraw false charges
- Simon had tried to rob a bank while he was withdrawing , but he had been forced to surrender to the police after they had fired several volleys at him.
