Example: Face à l'ennemi supérieur, l'armée a décidé de battre en retraite rapidement.
Definition
"Battre en retraite" means to withdraw or retreat, especially from a difficult or dangerous situation such as a battle or confrontation. It implies a strategic or tactical movement backwards to avoid defeat or to regroup, as in withdrawing an army when facing a stronger enemy.
Translations
To retreat
Retirarse
Zich terugtrekken
Retirar-se
Den Rückzug antreten
Etymology
The phrase "battre en retraite" comes from the French verb "battre" meaning 'to beat' and the noun "retraite" meaning 'retreat.' Originally, it referred to the beating of drums to signal a military withdrawal. Over time, it came to mean the act of pulling back or retreating in any context.
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"Battre en retraite" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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To retreat