decelerate
verb
de·cel·er·ate
(ˌ)dē-ˈse-lə-ˌrāt 
decelerated; decelerating
1
: to reduce the speed of : slow down
decelerate a car
2
: to decrease the rate of progress of
decelerate growth
decelerate soil erosion
: to move at decreasing speed
Examples of decelerate in a Sentence
she decelerated the car as we entered the school zone
Recent Examples on the Web
The system relied on an 11-parachute sequence to safely decelerate the capsule carrying a crew of four astronauts from over 25,000 mph in space to a gentle 20 mph splashdown.
—
Pat Maio, Oc Register, 29 May 2026
Traffic growth decelerated sequentially, but comparable ticket size growth accelerated as consumers continued to seek out the best-in-class value Costco can provide, thanks to its membership, bulk-selling warehouse model, and record demand at the gas pumps.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 29 May 2026
Nvidia’s growth outlook, while still strong, is expected to decelerate in the coming years, which could further impede the stock’s momentum.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
Analysts said investors were focusing on potentially discouraging numbers underneath the surface, including decelerating growth in trends for its software business.
—Stan Choe, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decelerate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Pat Maio, Oc Register, 29 May 2026
Traffic growth decelerated sequentially, but comparable ticket size growth accelerated as consumers continued to seek out the best-in-class value Costco can provide, thanks to its membership, bulk-selling warehouse model, and record demand at the gas pumps.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 29 May 2026
Nvidia’s growth outlook, while still strong, is expected to decelerate in the coming years, which could further impede the stock’s momentum.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
Analysts said investors were focusing on potentially discouraging numbers underneath the surface, including decelerating growth in trends for its software business.
—Stan Choe, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decelerate
Cite this Entry
“Decelerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decelerate. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decelerate
verb
de·cel·er·ate
(ˈ)dē-ˈsel-ə-ˌrāt
decelerated; decelerating
: to move or cause to move at decreasing speed : slow down
Medical Definition
decelerate
verb
de·cel·er·ate
(ˈ)dē-ˈsel-ə-ˌrāt
decelerated; decelerating
: to reduce the speed of : slow down
: to move at decreasing speed
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
