1. (n.) The act of retiring or withdrawing one's self, especially from what is dangerous or disagreeable.

2. (n.) The place to which anyone retires; a place or privacy or safety; a refuge; an asylum.

3. (n.) The retiring of an army or body of men from the face of an enemy, or from any ground occupied to a greater distance from the enemy, or from an advanced position.

4. (n.) The withdrawing of a ship or fleet from an enemy for the purpose of avoiding an engagement or escaping after defeat.

5. (n.) A signal given in the army or navy, by the beat of a drum or the sounding of trumpet or bugle, at sunset (when the roll is called), or for retiring from action.

6. (n.) A special season of solitude and silence to engage in religious exercises.

7. (n.) A period of several days of withdrawal from society to a religious house for exclusive occupation in the duties of devotion; as, to appoint or observe a retreat.

8. (v. i.) To make a retreat; to retire from any position or place; to withdraw; as, the defeated army retreated from the field.

Jim Crow abandon abandonment abscond adytum alcove almshouse apartheid apartness arbor ascend ashram asylum avoid avoidance back back down back out balance bank beat a retreat blench blink bolt-hole bow out bower bowl cabinet cache cant capitulation careen catabasis cell cession climb climb down cloister closet collapse concealment conservatory corner cover covert coverture cranny crash cringe cubby cubbyhole cup dark corner debate decamp decampment deceleration declension decline decline and fall decrescendo deliberate demur den depart departure descend detachment die away diminish diminuendo dip disappear disengage disengagement dish dive dodge downtrend downturn draw back draw off drift away drop duck dugout dwindle dwindling ebb egress escape evacuate evacuation evade evasion exit exodus fade fade away fall fall away fall back fall off fallback falter fear flee flight flinch fly foster home foxhole funk hole gazebo getaway give give back give ground give place giving in giving over giving up glasshouse go go away go back go downhill go uphill going grade greenhouse halfway house hang back harbor harborage haven hegira hem and haw hermitage hesitate hideaway hideout hidey hole hiding hiding place hole hollow holy of holies home hospice hospitium hover hum and haw incline incurve isolation isolationism ivory tower jib keel kiosk lair lapse lathhouse lean leave leaving list lose ground mew move away move back move off niche nook nursing home orphanage parting passing pause pergola pitch plunge ponder poor farm poorhouse port privacy privatism privatization pull away pull back pull out pullback pullout quail quarantine quit rake recede recedence receding recess recession reclusion recoil reculade reel back refuge relinquishment remission removal remove renunciation resort rest home retire retirement retract retractation retractility retraction retrocede retrocedence retrograde rise run away run back rustication sanctuary sanctum sanctum sanctorum scruple seclusion secrecy secret place segregation separation sequestration sheer off shelter shelve shilly-shally shrink shrink back shy sidestep sidestepping sidle sink slant slope slowdown slump