retreat vs surge

retreat

noun
  • A signal for a military withdrawal. 

  • A peaceful, quiet place affording privacy or security. 

  • The act of reversing direction and receding from a forward position. 

  • A bugle call or drumbeat signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset, as on a military base. 

  • A military ceremony to lower the flag. 

  • The move of a piece from a threatened position. 

  • A period of retirement, seclusion, or solitude. 

  • A period of meditation, prayer or study. 

  • The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant. 

  • Withdrawal by military force from a dangerous position or from enemy attack. 

verb
  • To slope back. 

  • To withdraw military forces 

  • To shrink back due to generally warmer temperatures. 

  • To withdraw from a position, go back. 

  • a retreating forehead 

surge

noun
  • A deployment in large numbers at short notice. 

  • The maximum amplitude of a vehicle's forward/backward oscillation. 

  • The tapered part of a windlass barrel or a capstan, upon which the cable surges, or slips. 

  • A sudden transient rush, flood or increase. 

  • A momentary reversal of the airflow through the compressor section of a jet engine due to disruption of the airflow entering the engine's air intake, accompanied by loud banging noises, emission of flame, and temporary loss of thrust. 

  • A sudden electrical spike or increase of voltage and current. 

  • The swell or heave of the sea (FM 55-501). 

verb
  • To slack off a line. 

  • To experience a momentary reversal of airflow through the compressor section due to disruption of intake airflow. 

  • To accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly. 

  • To rush, flood, or increase suddenly. 

How often have the words retreat and surge occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )