From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbeat a retreatbeat a retreatinformal to leave a place quickly I saw my aunt coming and beat a hasty retreat. → retreat
Examples from the Corpus
beat a hasty retreat• He beat a hasty retreat when he spotted me approaching, but it was not hasty enough.• Then, thanking him, I beat a hasty retreat to the sacristy door and knocked.• Any females which are not ripe will either stay away or beat a hasty retreat.• They were forced to beat a hasty retreat and arrived at their rendezvous with Morris's patrol on time.• With decks awash with diesel we beat a hasty retreat back to Lerwick. 