recede

verb re·cede \ ri-ˈsēd \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

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Definition of recede

receded; receding

intransitive verb

1 a : to move back or away : withdraw

a receding hairline

b : to slant backward

2 : to grow less or smaller : diminish, decrease

a receding deficit

Recent Examples of recede from the Web

Griffith’s work has receded into the syllabuses of film classes as the movie business moved decisively on.

— leo braudy, New York Times, "Los Angeles as the City of Dreams, and Nightmares," 1 June 2018
The waves had receded after the storm, and the wet sand reflected gray sky.

— BostonGlobe.com, "The face in the waves," 31 May 2018
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly has receded somewhat from public view, especially compared with the early months of his tenure, when the retired four-star Marine general attempted to impose military rigor and discipline on a chaotic operation.

— author: ashley parker, josh dawsey, philip rucker, Anchorage Daily News, "With new West Wing cast, Trump calls shots, aides follow," 29 May 2018
Over the past five decades, shorelines throughout the Arctic have receded by an average of 1.5 feet annually.

— bridget alex, Discover Magazine, "Something Stirs: What Will Happen as Permafrost Thaws?," 15 May 2018
After planting and watering, the surrounding soil may have receded.

— adrian higgins, sacbee, "Container culture – these pots do lots | The Sacramento Bee," 11 May 2018
The threat of suicide bombs, killings, kidnappings, and insecurity has palpably receded, and casualty figures have dropped sharply.

— scott peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, "In Baghdad, Iraqis embrace return to normalcy, with eye on its fragility," 7 May 2018
The hepatitis A outbreak may have receded, but its impact continues to reverberate.

— michael smolens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Hepatitis crisis has subsided, dispute over who's to blame hasn't," 16 May 2018
Sullivan said Monday the water has receded in the area, but service is still on hold.

— alex demarban, Anchorage Daily News, "‘Wall of ice’ on Susitna River damages railroad tracks near Curry," 14 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'recede.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of recede

Middle English, from Latin recedere to go back, from re- + cedere to go

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of recede

recede, retreat, retract, back mean to move backward. recede implies a gradual withdrawing from a forward or high fixed point in time or space.

- the flood waters gradually receded

retreat implies withdrawal from a point or position reached.

- retreating soldiers

retract implies drawing back from an extended position.

- a cat retracting its claws

back is used with up, down, out, or off to refer to any retrograde motion.

- backed off on the throttle

recede

verb re·cede \ (ˌ)rē-ˈsēd \

Definition of recede

receded; receding; recedes

transitive verb

: to cede back to a former possessor

Recent Examples of recede from the Web

Capital flows to emerging markets began to recede in 2011, a period when the Fed’s monetary policy remained very supportive of growth.

— nick timiraos, WSJ, "Fed’s Powell Warns Against Overstating Influence of U.S. Monetary Policy on Global Financial Conditions," 8 May 2018
As the recession finally began to recede, staffing companies such as QPS also were among the first to feel the recovery.

— steve jagler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Jagler: Immekus was on leading edge of workforce trends," 4 May 2018
As the flood waters continue to slowly recede, city leadership in Cincinnati has issued an emergency declaration to help speed up recovery efforts.

— sarah brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati to begin flood damage assessments on 1,000 structures," 28 Feb. 2018
Luckily, photokeratitis symptoms tend to recede within 48 hours, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

— korin miller, SELF, "5 Reasons Your Eyes Are Burning Like Mad," 23 May 2018
Latham and her friends stayed in their homes, stranded by floodwaters that refused to recede.

— alden woods, USA TODAY, "Santa Fe High's disastrous year: From devastating floods to tragic school shooting," 22 May 2018
Most of these glaciers are now receding rapidly, with notable changes from year to year.

— nancy lord, Anchorage Daily News, "In ‘A Wild Promise,’ a wilderness area in limbo and a book with a mission," 19 May 2018
Meanwhile, diversion of freshwater inflows is causing water in the lake to recede at a rate of about a foot each year, officials said.

— louis sahagun, latimes.com, "As salinity grows and toxic dust spreads, patience wears thin at Salton Sea," 17 May 2018
But the dream of making a great wine culture, as opposed to a thriving beverage industry, seems to recede more with each year.

— adam gopnik, The New Yorker, "A Vintner’s Quest to Create a Truly American Wine," 14 May 2018

Origin and Etymology of recede

re- + cede

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1771

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

RECEDE Defined for Kids

recede

verb re·cede \ ri-ˈsēd \

Definition of recede for Students

receded; receding

1 : to move back or away

Floodwaters are receding.

2 : to become smaller or weaker

… I heard … footsteps receding.
—Avi, Crispin

Word Root of recede

The Latin word cedere, meaning “to go,” gives us the root ced. Words from the Latin cedere have something to do with going. To precede is to go before. To exceed is to go beyond a limit. To proceed is to go forward. To recede is to go back or away.

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