withdrawal for prayer and study and meditation; "a religious retreat";
(military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy''s superior forces or after a defeat; "the disorderly retreat of French troops";
an area where you can be alone;
(military) a bugle call signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset;
(military) a signal to begin a withdrawal from a dangerous position;
a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet;
make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity; "We''ll have to crawfish out from meeting with him"; "He backed out of his earlier promise"; "The aggressive investment company pulled in its horns";
pull back or move away or backward; "The enemy withdrew"; "The limo pulled away from the curb";
move back; "The glacier retrogrades";
move away, as for privacy; "The Pope retreats to Castelgondolfo every summer";
