1
as in to settle
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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Kotb announced her decision to retire in October 2024, sharing her desire to spend more time with her mother, Sameha Kotb, and her two daughters, 8-year-old Haley, and 5-year-old Hope.
—
Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 27 May 2025
The 38-year-old, who retired from tennis last year, was honored during an emotional ceremony at the start of this year’s event and Nadal couldn’t hide his emotion.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 26 May 2025
Now that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings has shared his plans to retire by 2026, city leaders will begin a nation-wide search for his successor, a city announcement said.
—Gavin Off, Charlotte Observer, 26 May 2025
Russo, a 24-year FDNY veteran, had been expecting to retire in a few months when she was slain.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for retire
Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 27 May 2025
The 38-year-old, who retired from tennis last year, was honored during an emotional ceremony at the start of this year’s event and Nadal couldn’t hide his emotion.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 26 May 2025
Now that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings has shared his plans to retire by 2026, city leaders will begin a nation-wide search for his successor, a city announcement said.
—Gavin Off, Charlotte Observer, 26 May 2025
Russo, a 24-year FDNY veteran, had been expecting to retire in a few months when she was slain.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for retire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retire
Verb
-
They were welcomed into the world at 29 weeks and spent some time in NICU before settling into their home with their two brothers, who are now two and four years old.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
-
Instead, the zoning dispute will be settled in court.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
Paulo Fonseca was sacked in December, while the end of the season saw the club decide to end Sergio Conceicao’s tenure after an eighth-place finish.—
Adam Digby,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
-
Former Porto head coach Conceicao was sacked after just five months in charge on Thursday following a disappointing eighth place finish in Serie A that saw the club miss out on European qualification for 2025-26.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
Acknowledging those headwinds, Mulgrew has since withdrawn the UFT’s support for the the plan, which would have provided the city with hundreds of millions of dollars in annual savings.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
31 May 2025
-
Greenwood never played for his boyhood club again, despite the charges being dropped in February 2023 when the prosecution’s main witness withdrew her cooperation.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
Verb
-
Plus, Amazon just dropped huge discounts on bedding from Casper, including a plush foam mattress and the brand's signature pillow.—
Sarah Felbin,
SELF,
23 May 2025
-
This limited time deal is bound to go quickly, especially because that amazing sale price includes three bedding pieces—not just the quilt itself.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 May 2025
Verb
-
Despite seeking help from her local GP, her concerns were initially dismissed.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
6 June 2025
-
The lawsuit sparked a years-long legal battle that was ultimately voluntarily dismissed in late 2022.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
The soldiers fired warning shots and then opened fire when the suspects would not retreat, according to the IDF.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2025
-
Also, market reaction to further tariff moves may cause Trump to retreat to the point that the effect of any tariff actions is fairly nominal.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
The child was sleeping between her 27-year-old mother and stepfather when the dog attacked her.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
28 May 2025
-
June finally makes her way to Luke (O-T Fagbenle), who apparently hasn't slept since rescuing the handmaids at the gallows.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
Verb
-
So everybody that's in the United States, and in this case in Puerto Rico, without an immigration status, needs to be removed or deported.—
Adrian Florido,
NPR,
2 June 2025
-
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sent a licensed trapper to remove the injured alligator, officials said.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retire. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share