retrieve
get or bring something back
to go and get something back that you lost, forgot, or had taken from you
to retrieve [something] from [somewhere]
- She ran back to the restaurant to retrieve her phone.
- You can retrieve your luggage at the baggage claim area.
- The company hired a specialist to retrieve the stolen paintings.
- He dived into the pool to retrieve the keys from the bottom.
- I returned to the office to retrieve a file I had left on my desk.
- I went back to the bus to retrieve my jacket.
- Please retrieve your books from the table before you leave.
- The dog jumped into the water to retrieve the toy.
- He called the hotel to see if he could retrieve his wallet.
- We must retrieve our bags from the locker.
get data from storage
to get data or information from a computer or another storage system so you can use it
to retrieve [data/information/file] from [a system/device]
- The system can retrieve customer data in just a few seconds.
- You can retrieve the document from the cloud if you accidentally close it.
- This search tool quickly retrieves information from multiple databases.
- The app failed to retrieve your messages because the server was down.
- Engineers are working on a faster way to retrieve large image files.
- The program can retrieve your files from the server.
- I used a backup to retrieve my lost photos.
- This website takes a long time to retrieve the data.
- The app cannot retrieve your messages without the internet.
- Click this button to retrieve the report.
bring a memory to mind
to remember something again, especially a fact or piece of information
to retrieve [information/memories] from [memory/one's mind]
- He tried to retrieve the exact words of the conversation from memory.
- Under stress, it can be harder to retrieve information you have learned.
- I could not retrieve her name, even though I recognized her face.
- Students must retrieve key concepts quickly during the exam.
- The smell of the sea helped her retrieve childhood memories of summer holidays.
- I could not retrieve the word I needed.
- She tried to retrieve his phone number from memory.
- It is easier to retrieve new words if you use them often.
- The test checks how fast you can retrieve information.
- That song helped me retrieve many happy memories.
improve or save a bad situation
to make a bad situation better again, or to get back something like a good name or position
to retrieve [the situation/reputation/position]
- A late goal helped the team retrieve the situation.
- The company launched a campaign to retrieve its damaged reputation.
- Her strong closing argument partly retrieved an otherwise weak case.
- He worked hard to retrieve his career after the scandal.
- The negotiator managed to retrieve the situation before it turned into a crisis.
- The coach hoped a win would retrieve the team’s good name.
- A quick apology can sometimes retrieve the situation.
- She tried to retrieve her image after the mistake.
- The company is trying to retrieve its position in the market.
- His final goal helped retrieve the situation for the team.
dog brings object back
if a dog retrieves something, it runs to get a thing that was thrown or shot and brings it back
to retrieve [a ball/bird/object]
- The dog quickly retrieved the ball from the lake.
- He trained his spaniel to retrieve birds during hunting season.
- Our puppy loves to retrieve sticks on the beach.
- The retriever calmly retrieved the duck and delivered it to his owner.
- Some dogs naturally enjoy retrieving, while others must be carefully trained.
- My dog can retrieve a ball very well.
- We taught the puppy to retrieve a stick.
- The dog ran to retrieve the toy and brought it back.
- Hunting dogs are often used to retrieve birds.
- This breed was developed to retrieve things from water.
- Base: retrieve
- 3rd Person Singular: retrieves
- Present Participle: retrieving
- Past: retrieved
retrieve data
1get stored data from a system
to get digital information from a computer, server, or database so you can use it
- The app needs a few seconds to retrieve data from the server.
- Scientists used special software to retrieve data from the damaged hard drive.
retrieve information
1get stored information
to get information that is stored in a computer, a database, or sometimes in memory, so that you can use it
- The search engine can retrieve information from millions of web pages.
- Students must quickly retrieve information from memory during the test.
retrieve the situation
1save or improve a bad situation
to make a problem situation better again, especially when it was close to failing
- His quick apology helped retrieve the situation.
- A last-minute goal partly retrieved the situation for the home team.