What happened when the British attacked New York City?

A. The British win a total victory

B. The colonial forces won a total victory

C. The British defeat the colonial forces, but allow Washington to retreat

D. The colonists and the British decide to stop fighting and sign a peace deal?

The correct answer should be

C. The British defeat the colonial forces, but allow Washington to retreat

The British won and Washington retreated but it is debatable how much they let them. They were taken by surprise and couldn't react in time but they also didn't want to react as much because even a complete victory would still mean heavy losses so they didn't react when they saw them retreating.