retire vs discontinue

retire and discontinue both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
retire	No	No	Yes	No
discontinue	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, discontinue is a hypernym of retire; that is, discontinue is a word with a broader meaning than retire:

Other hypernyms of retire include cease, give up, lay off, quit, stop.

retire (verb)	discontinue (verb)
prepare for sleep	prevent completion
cause to get out	put an end to a state or an activity
cause to be out on a fielding play	come to or be at an end
lose interest
pull back or move away or backward
dispose of (something no longer useful or needed)
break from a meeting or gathering
go into retirement; stop performing one's work or withdraw from one's position
withdraw from active participation
make (someone) retire
withdraw from circulation or from the market, as of bills, shares, and bonds