The action or an act of falling back from a place or position, esp. after a defeat or when confronted by a superior force. in retreat: in the…

The action or an act of falling back or retreating from a place or position, esp. in the face of superior force. Obsolete (rare after 17th cent.).

A retreat, esp. of an army or force; the call signalling this.

With nouns of action, forming nouns, as back-caper, back-blast, back-come, back-eddy (usually figurative), back-flip, back-flow also (figurative)…

A retreat.

A hasty or precipitate retreat or flight; a scurry.

Originally U.S. A withdrawal of military troops or police.