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
Examples of recede in a Sentence
Verb (1)
the sound of sirens receded as the fire engines roared off into the distance
after the rain stops, the floodwaters should gradually recede
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The majority of a star's lifetime is spent in the main sequence phase, where its luminosity will gradually increase, causing the habitable zone to slowly recede away from the star.—Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 9 Oct. 2024 When the ice began to recede, around fifteen thousand years ago, large swaths of the world experienced catastrophic flooding.—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 Because inflation has receded during the past several months, the 2025 COLA is expected to be lower than in prior years.—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 4 Oct. 2024 Watch The Pope's Exorcist on Netflix 29 of 34
Wendell & Wild
Restoring their father's (Ving Rhames) receding hairline in the underworld, the titular demon brothers (voiced by Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key) discover their dad's hair cream can bring the dead back to life.—Emy Lacroix, People.com, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for recede
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recede.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb (1)
Middle English, from Latin recedere to go back, from re- + cedere to go
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