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.