as in relaxation
freedom from activity or labor
the waitstaff gets a welcome period of decompression between the lunch and dinner rushes
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Recent Examples of decompression
Found in translation In a way, human language acts as a compression and decompression scheme—the listener must decompress the meaning of words in the same way the speaker intended when encoding the message for them to be properly understood.
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ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
Plus, the unboxing and decompression was easy enough for Moon to set it up alone.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 22 Aug. 2025
After a briefing and gear setup, the first one-hour dive follows the main guideline, with optional deeper exploration afterward — some dives can reach nearly 200 feet (60 meters) and require decompression stops.
—Jennifer Walker, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2025
You were hospitalized twice for surgery or decompression (a procedure to relieve pressure from blockages).
—Health, 15 Aug. 2025
ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
Plus, the unboxing and decompression was easy enough for Moon to set it up alone.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 22 Aug. 2025
After a briefing and gear setup, the first one-hour dive follows the main guideline, with optional deeper exploration afterward — some dives can reach nearly 200 feet (60 meters) and require decompression stops.
—Jennifer Walker, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2025
You were hospitalized twice for surgery or decompression (a procedure to relieve pressure from blockages).
—Health, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decompression
Noun
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For visitors seeking rest and relaxation, spend an afternoon at Roosevelt Baths & Spa, a hydrotherapy spa that uses mineral water from the nearby springs to provide guests with innovative wellness treatments.—
Cat Sposato,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Nov. 2025
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Residents or guests who are more excited about rest and relaxation won’t be disappointed either.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The principle of relativity would later show up in Newton’s work as his first law of motion, where an object at rest would remain at rest and an object in motion would remain in constant motion, and would do so forever, unless and until either of them was acted upon by an outside (net) force.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Nov. 2025
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That is empowering — better rest is in your control.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decompression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decompression. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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