RECEDES Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

recedes

verb

present tense third-person singular of recede

as in subsides

to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually the sound of sirens receded as the fire engines roared off into the distance

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in withdraws

to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable) after the rain stops, the floodwaters should gradually recede

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of recedes The frontier of what needs a human recedes every quarter, and the companies that know exactly where the line sits have a real edge. — Michael Wee, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 But, even with the end so near, my thoughts turn ahead to preparations for another trip when the water recedes a bit. — Ralph Tuttle, Outdoor Life, 25 June 2026 So far, Arens has been surprised by how quickly native vegetation resumes life as the water recedes, in some places as soon as two or three years. — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 7 June 2026 The dark hue recedes, letting your eyes focus on the scenery outside. — Gary Thompson, Midwest Living, 5 June 2026 By Gallup’s measure, acceptance of LGBTQ people – at an all-time high four years ago – has fallen every year since as public approval of LGBTQ+ legal protections recedes and transgender rights become a culture-war flashpoint. — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 1 June 2026 But when the processions disperse, the city returns to its usual arrangements and the permission recedes with the crowd. — Vogue, 1 June 2026 Once your tsukemen appears — terrifically chewy noodles built to catch every drop of the accompanying half-broth, half-gravy, as heady as drippings scraped from a roasting pan — the world recedes. — Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026 Finally, Earth recedes again from the camera. — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 11 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for recedes

Verb

Eventually, the helicopter ejaculates a waterfall from its door, and the storm subsides.

— Lauren Oyler, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
And once the temp subsides, a secret weapon like this can hide away in your hall closet until things heat up again.

— Lindsey Mather, Architectural Digest, 16 July 2026

Definition of subsides

Verb

Mei searches for community and purpose with the I Wor Kuen while Chris withdraws from daily life into increasingly Spartan spiritual practices.

— Dylan Adamson, IndieWire, 21 July 2026
Something in-between In this scenario, the SEC withdraws from the House settlement — which created nationwide rules on revenue sharing and third-party payments to players — and sets its own rules on paying players.

— Seth Emerson, New York Times, 21 July 2026

Definition of withdraws

Verb

The mountain range is just a short distance from Balmoral, the Scottish castle and estate where the royal family annually retreats in late summer.

— Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026
The footage then appears to show the person attempting to kick the sea lion again as the animal retreats from its resting spot.

— Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 27 July 2026

Definition of retreats

Verb

This number obviously decreases as planes are taking off and landing around airports, where air traffic controllers are able to maintain safe distances between flights.

— Irene Wright, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
The resulting design of the mouse decreases its overall footprint while retaining the stability of a familiar symmetrical profile.

— Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of decreases

Verb

Toyota recently launched a $25 billion, tender-offer buyback that retires about 7% of outstanding shares, one of the largest repurchases in Japanese history.

— Tony Zhang, CNBC, 22 July 2026
Citation retires after the race with total earnings of $1,085,760.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026

Definition of retires

Verb

That's why your rate vanishes at checkout, why one hotel shows on 30 channels at 30 slightly different prices and why a nice five-star in Bali takes nine seconds to say whether a room is free.

— Abhinav Sinha, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Green’s newfound intensity could merely be an early flash that vanishes by August, much less September.

— Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 28 July 2026

Definition of vanishes

Verb

That way if one of its holdings falls, the others are positioned to take up the slack, provided the economy is strong.

— Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
The impact falls disproportionately on women, who have left the workforce in droves, according to Challenger, Gray and Christmas.

— Medora Lee, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026