This is the 14423rd most frequent Russian word.
отступили
"Отступили" means "retreated" or "stepped back."
In this sentence, 'отступили' means 'retreated' in the military context, describing the action of moving back to avoid confrontation or for strategic reasons.
Войска отступили к безопасной зоне.
The troops retreated to a safe zone.
Here, 'отступил' is used metaphorically to mean 'abandoned' or 'gave up' on something, indicating a change of decision or withdrawal from an intention.
После долгого раздумья он отступил от своих планов.
After long hesitation, he abandoned his plans.
In this sentence, 'отступила' refers to the action of a natural entity, the river, indicating it moved back or retreated from its previously altered state.