1. (

• withdraw ,
• retreat ,
• pull_away ,
• draw_back ,
• recede ,
• pull_back ,
• retire ,
• move_back

) pull back or move away or backward; "The enemy withdrew"; "The limo pulled away from the curb" ;

2. (

• retreat ,

) move away, as for privacy; "The Pope retreats to Castelgondolfo every summer" ;

3. (

• retrograde ,
• retreat ,

) move back; "The glacier retrogrades" ;

4. (

• retreat ,
• pull_back ,
• back_out ,
• back_away ,
• crawfish ,
• crawfish_out ,
• pull_in_one's_horns ,
• withdraw

) 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" ;