Advancing and Retreating

Opposite meaning words

Advancing adjective - Moving forward.

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Retreating is an antonym for advancing.

Nearby Words: advance, advanced, advancement, advancer

Definitions of Advancing not found.

Advancing is an antonym for retreating.

Nearby Words: retreat, retreated

Then he offers "water for guns" to stop the Germans advancing on the retreating allies.

Source: Film / Sahara (1943)
The other mail carrier is from the Restored Republic of California, and this serves as The Reveal that Bethleham's army isn't advancing into Oregon, it's retreating from California.

Source: Film / The Postman
Visually, this trope often expresses itself in a Pendulum War, with the side in possession of the Ball advancing and the other clearly retreating.

Source: Advantage Ball

Cite this Source

Retreating and Advancing. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/advancing/retreating

Advancing & Retreating. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/advancing/retreating>.

Retreating or Advancing. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/advancing/retreating.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "advancing" and "retreating" have occurred on timeline