Dunkirk is a noun that refers to a desperate retreat.

Our word of the day’s origin comes from a town in France where a key event took place during World War Two. The allied forces engaged in a desperate withdrawal to avoid defeat. A Dunkirk doesn’t just refer to a retreat, but a retreat done for strategic purposes.

For example: We worked all night to get the project completed but in the end, we had a Dunkirk. We all agreed we’d get more done if we went home, got a good night’s sleep and finished things up with fresh minds.