retroceder
verbCEFR B2
What does “retroceder” mean in English?
to retreat, to fall back
to retreat, to fall back (retroceder — move backwards literally or decline figuratively in economic data)
Example sentences
Las fuerzas militares se vieron obligadas a retroceder ante la superioridad numérica del enemigo.
The military forces were forced to retreat in the face of the enemy's numerical superiority.
Las exportaciones retrocedieron un ocho por ciento en el primer trimestre del año.
Exports retreated by eight per cent in the first quarter of the year.
How to use it
Retroceder means 'to retreat' or 'to go back'. Intransitive. Both literal (troops/people moving back) and figurative (prices falling, progress reversing). Collocations: retroceder posiciones, retroceder ante la presión, las ventas retroceden.
Common mistake
Retroceder (move backwards — literal or figurative decline) vs. retirarse (withdraw — often from a situation/position with more intent) vs. ceder (give way/yield — concede under pressure). In economics, retroceder is a standard headline verb.