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
Depress the decompression valve (if your model has one).
—
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The first uses extrusion, in which the biomass is heated and pressurized before undergoing rapid decompression.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025
After any transitional moment in life, a decompression period of about 90 to 180 days can be essential.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Having decompression hobbies has been really good for me as well.
—Glamour, 9 Dec. 2025
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.
—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
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The first uses extrusion, in which the biomass is heated and pressurized before undergoing rapid decompression.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025
After any transitional moment in life, a decompression period of about 90 to 180 days can be essential.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Having decompression hobbies has been really good for me as well.
—Glamour, 9 Dec. 2025
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.
—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
-
Practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques, such as meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises.—
Laura Dorwart,
Verywell Health,
7 Jan. 2026
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According to Amex, what unites these destinations is a desire for meaningful travel—whether through first-time adventures, cultural immersion, or settings that balance relaxation with a strong sense of place.—
Samantha Leal,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Plant dormancy is a type of physiological rest.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Jan. 2026
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On Thursday, tight end Hunter Henry (rest), right tackle (Morgan Moses (illness) and linebacker Robert Spillane (ankle) were all upgraded to full participation.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decompression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decompression. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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