# beat a retreat

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/beat-a-retreat
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To leave hastily in the face of opposition.

## Examples

- The noisy crowd arrived, so we beat a retreat.
- I beat a retreat when I see my ex-boyfriend at the supermarket.
- When the boss started asking difficult questions about the budget, the manager quickly beat a retreat to his office.
- As soon as the stray dogs started barking at us, we beat a retreat toward the safety of the car.
- The hikers beat a retreat from the mountain trail when they noticed dark storm clouds and felt the first drops of rain.
- Realizing that their argument was becoming increasingly irrational, he decided to beat a retreat before the situation escalated into an open confrontation.

## Origin

The phrase originates from the military practice of using a drum to signal a tactical withdrawal. To beat a retreat was to strike the drum in a specific pattern, communicating the order to move back from a position or to return to the safety of a camp. While the drum has largely been retired from the modern battlefield, the verb remains to describe the act of leaving a situation with similar haste.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.