0 past simple and past participle of retreat
1 to go away from a place or person in order to escape from fighting or danger:
2 to decide not to do something, or to stop believing something, because it causes too many problems:
The government is retreating from its promises.
3 If a price retreats, it goes down after it has gone up:
On seeing us, the deer stood stock-still for a moment, then turned and retreated into the forest.
I saw her coming and retreated.
The ticks stopped suddenly on entering the region of the odour and, after waving their front legs, quickly retreated.
Their mood changed only after the governor - wi retreated into his palace.
However, after contact with the mucus, the ants retreated and exhibited antennal cleaning, especially when contact with the nectary took place soon after mucus treatment.