retire

verb

ri-ˈtī(-ə)r How to pronounce retire (audio)
Definition of retirenext
1
as in to bed
to go to one's bed in order to sleep I'm exhausted, so I think I'll retire for the evening

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to sack
to let go from office, service, or employment as a part of its restructuring, the company has begun to retire its older employees

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to withdraw
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable) the insurgents have retired to the outskirts of the city, but appear to be readying themselves for another offensive

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of retire The plan would also prohibit new horse carriage licenses; the horses would be retired, and the city would develop a transition program to help drivers find new jobs. — Jessica Moore, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 After 37 years at Mac’s Drive-Thru in Gainesville, Florida, sunny and beloved Sighle is retiring. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 This year, SpaceX announced plans to retire the Falcon 9, its main reusable rocket. — Kathleen Curlee, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2026 Grimm recently retired from the Army's Criminal Investigation Division. — Monika Evstatieva, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for retire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retire
  1. bed
  2. sack
  3. withdraw
  4. settle
  5. dismiss
  6. retreat
  7. sleep
  8. remove
Verb
  • In addition to women’s lifestyle apparel, the brand does kidswear and home, including a bedding assortment and such tabletop items as napkins, tablecloths, runners and place mats.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Travel Light Be prepared to move; if a buck is chasing does around the bedding area on the opposite ridge, figure out a way to get over there and set up when things quiet down.
    — Colin Moore, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of bed
Verb
  • After Miami scored in the second OT period, Omar Thornton sacked Daniels on first down, forced an incompletion on second down, got FSU to commit a false start and forced another incompletion to set up fourth and 21.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
  • He was sacked five times as Texas lost consecutive regular-season games for the first time since 2021.
    — Mark Long, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of sack
Verb
  • On Monday, Chinese manufacturer Kepuni Holdings withdrew plans for a Nasdaq listing that had been expected to raise $15 million.
    — Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In these situations, withdrawing into a literal or symbolic dark room—avoiding sources of stress and going to a safe place—can be adaptive in the short term.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of withdraw
Verb
  • On the industry side, Serielizados Pro has settled into its identity as a boutique forum.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Composed of the Hernández brothers (Jorge, Hernán, Eduardo and Luis) and cousin Óscar Lara, Los Tigres Del Norte was founded in the late 1960s in the Sinaloan town of Rosa Morada and settled in San José.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of settle
Verb
  • The stance has seen Newsom, who warns the passage of Prop 40 could see an exodus of the super rich from California, mocked and dismissed by fellow Democrats.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The complaint was ultimately dismissed, and Iowa's Republican leaders celebrated the ruling.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of dismiss
Verb
  • Meanwhile, conservative activists spread rumors last week that Talarico was struggling with his mental health and had secretly retreated to an Ohio hospital.
    — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • While Chelsea tend to retreat after taking the lead, their opponents also become more aggressive in response, committing extra bodies forward and helping to create more open, end-to-end encounters.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of retreat
Verb
  • Just one day earlier, he was diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in his left calf and ordered by doctors to stay awake overnight, according to NFL insiders, who report the quarterback did not sleep for roughly 36 hours.
    — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • As a result, your mind is always searching for the next project to tackle or problem to solve, distracting you while hanging out with family or keeping you from sleeping.
    — Melody Wilding, Contributor, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of sleep
Verb
  • The full court reheard the case in January 2024, and in October 2024 ruled 9-8 that the NLRB had no power to order the tweet removed, citing the First Amendment.
    — Heather Occhino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, according to a USFWS spokesperson, around 30 million lbs of invasive carp are removed from Midwestern waters each year.
    — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of remove

Phrases Containing retire

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retinues
retire
retired
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Cite this Entry

“Retire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retire. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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