beat a retreat

beat a retreat
verb
depart hastily
• Hypernyms: ↑depart, ↑take leave, ↑quit
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s

* * *

phrasal
: to retreat or retire often in haste or with loss of dignity

* * *

beat a retreat
1. To retreat, orig to beat the drum as a signal for retreat (beat the retreat to perform the military ceremony (beating the retreat) consisting of marching and military music usu performed at dusk, orig marking the recall of troops to their quarters)
2. To go away in a hurry, esp to avoid punishment or unpleasantness
• • •
Main Entry: ↑beat

* * *

I beat a (hasty) retreat
withdraw, typically in order to avoid something unpleasant

as the bombs started to go off, they beat a hasty retreat across the field

II
see beat

* * *

beat a retreat
: to leave quickly

A group of teenagers was causing trouble, but they beat a hasty retreat when the cops arrived.

• • •
Main Entry: ↑beat

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • beat a retreat — beat a (hasty) retreat ► to decide not to continue with something that has become too difficult or not worth doing: »Most of the market beat a hasty retreat, investors being unimpressed by a volatile performance on Wall Street. beat a retreat… …   Financial and business terms

  • beat a retreat — beat a (hasty) retreat to quickly leave. When the cold grows overwhelming, visitors can beat a retreat to Joe Mulligan s warm bar and restaurant. Etymology: based on the military meaning of beat a retreat (= to drum a signal to soldiers that they …   New idioms dictionary

  • beat the retreat — see ↑beat a retreat above. • • • Main Entry: ↑beat …   Useful english dictionary

  • beat a retreat — ► beat a retreat withdraw. Main Entry: ↑beat …   English terms dictionary

  • beat a retreat — index quit (evacuate) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • beat a retreat — {v. phr.} 1. To give a signal, esp. by beating a drum, to go back. * /The Redcoats drums were beating a retreat./ 2. To run away. * /They beat a retreat when they saw that they were too few./ * /The cat beat a hasty retreat when he saw the dog… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • beat a retreat — {v. phr.} 1. To give a signal, esp. by beating a drum, to go back. * /The Redcoats drums were beating a retreat./ 2. To run away. * /They beat a retreat when they saw that they were too few./ * /The cat beat a hasty retreat when he saw the dog… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • beat\ a\ retreat — v. phr. 1. To give a signal, esp. by beating a drum, to go back. The Redcoats drums were beating a retreat. 2. To run away. They beat a retreat when they saw that they were too few. The cat beat a hasty retreat when he saw the dog coming. Compare …   Словарь американских идиом

  • beat a retreat — to leave a place because it is dangerous or unpleasant. When the cold grows overwhelming, visitors can beat a retreat to Joe Mulligan s warm saloon. When we saw the police arriving we beat a hasty retreat …   New idioms dictionary

  • beat a retreat — See beat a hasty retreat …   Thesaurus of popular words

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