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
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
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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In this state, the nervous system’s fight-or-flight response takes priority, inhibiting relaxation, pleasure and trust, which make for the key ingredients of romantic connection.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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For the average person, being massaged in a public space, as part of a competition, might be a relaxation-proof challenge.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve could’ve wanted to use the regular season finale as a chance to get others more minutes and allow her stars some rest just days before the postseason begins.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
10 Sep. 2025
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Humans arrive with a lifetime of real-world learning and need nothing more exotic than food, water, and rest.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decompression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decompression. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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