Of combatants, troops, etc.: To retire from the field of battle or any contest, or from an advanced position.

intransitive. To retreat, retire, or draw back before an enemy or opposing force. Also figurative. Now rare.

To prove deficient upon trial. †Of fighting men: To give way (before an enemy). Of a material thing: To break down under strain or pressure (archaic…

intransitive. To retreat.

give way Of fighting men: = give ground at sense 45. To retreat before an advancing force; to break rank. Also transferred and figurative. Const. to.

intransitive. To give way, retreat.

intransitive. Of an army, troops, etc.: to fall back from a place or position, esp. after a defeat or when confronted by a superior force.

Ground contested by opposing forces in battle. Obsolete. rare.

intransitive. To recoil, retreat, give way. Cf. wonde, v.

? transferred. Of troops: To fall back, yield ground, retire. Also transitive (causatively). Scottish. Obsolete.

intransitive. Of an army, troops, etc.: to fall back or give ground, esp. when confronted by a superior force; to retreat. Also with from, to.

intransitive. Military. To fall back; to retreat. Obsolete.

intransitive. To march or fall back, to retreat; to march off, retire.

With adverb, adverbial phrase, or prepositional phrase as complement. To emerge from a battle, contest, or similar situation in a specified manner or…

intransitive. Of an army, troops, etc.: to retreat, withdraw. Frequently with to, on, or upon, specifying the place of retreat.

intransitive. To retreat.

give ground To retire before a superior force; †rarely with indirect object.

Military. intransitive. Of a body of troops: to retreat. Obsolete. rare.

transitive and intransitive. To withdraw (troops, spies, etc.) from a dangerous position, usually surreptitiously. Opposed to infiltrate, v. 4.