beat a retreat

English

Etymology

See beat (“to signal beating a drum”).

Verb

beat a retreat

(informal) To leave hastily in the face of opposition.

Usage notes

retreat can be qualified by an adjective: to beat a hasty retreat.

Related terms

beat to quarters

References

“beat a retreat” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
“beat a retreat” in the Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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