beat a retreat
English edit
Etymology edit
See beat (“to signal beating a drum”).
Verb edit
beat a retreat (third-person singular simple present beats a retreat, present participle beating a retreat, simple past beat a retreat, past participle beaten a retreat)
- (informal) To leave hastily in the face of opposition.
Usage notes edit
retreat can be qualified by an adjective: to beat a hasty retreat.
Related terms edit
References edit
- “beat a retreat” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.
- “beat a retreat”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.