fighting retreat
Retreat while engaging
A fighting retreat is a military withdrawal in which retreating forces continue to engage the enemy, slowing pursuit while moving to safer ground.
The tactic preserves combat strength while yielding territory: The battalion conducted a fighting retreat through the mountains.
Figuratively, it describes any strategic withdrawal that maintains resistance: The company's fighting retreat from the market took three years.
- rearguardTroops protecting retreating forces
- withdrawalAct of taking away
- fallbackAlternative if primary fails
- fall backWithdraw from advance
- delaying actionCombat to impede pursuit
skirmish · covering fire · running battle · orderly · tactical · scorched earth · pursued · defensive · ambush · flanking · bloody nose · harried · cut off · desperate · exhausted · outnumbered · artillery · cavalry
- military tacticstactics, flanking, maneuver, ambush, battle formations
- retreat commandsfall back, withdraw, pull back, back off, disengage
- retreatsspa, meditation, mindfulness, digital detox, prayer room
fighting retreatadvance
Move or progress forward
attack · offensive · charge · push forward · assault
fighting retreatrout
Overwhelming one-sided victory
stampede · collapse · disintegration · debacle · surrender
fighting, retreat, fight, fights, fought, fighter, fighters, retreats, retreated