as in retrogressing
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in subsiding
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in retreating
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 receding
Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Due to the Doppler effect, the speedy gas swirling towards Earth glows blue, while the receding gas glows red.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Oct. 2025
Fog is receding along the Monterey Peninsula and should start to clear along the coast from Santa Cruz County northwards through the remainder of the morning.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025
From January to June, rising water levels bring the canopy and its wildlife closer, while from July to December, receding waters reveal intricate jungle trails, offering an astonishing perspective of the towering trees.
—Jen Richt, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
The death toll rose as thousands of soldiers scoured the destruction left in the wake of the receding waters, clearing roads blocked with trees and cars to rescue the missing.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
His receding hairline could no longer be disguised with styling products, and even his partner noticed how much the hair loss was accelerating.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
The foundational observations for this, which were made more than a century ago, showed that distant galaxies appeared to be receding from us—not only that, but ones farther away were moving faster.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2025
The whole image is a set of geometric elements receding precisely, which either or both ruins or/and enhances a little of the painting’s magic for me.
—Kate Colby
october 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
While restoring their father's (Ving Rhames) receding hairline in the underworld, the titular demon brothers (Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key) discover their dad's hair cream can bring the dead back to life.
—Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Due to the Doppler effect, the speedy gas swirling towards Earth glows blue, while the receding gas glows red.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Oct. 2025
Fog is receding along the Monterey Peninsula and should start to clear along the coast from Santa Cruz County northwards through the remainder of the morning.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025
From January to June, rising water levels bring the canopy and its wildlife closer, while from July to December, receding waters reveal intricate jungle trails, offering an astonishing perspective of the towering trees.
—Jen Richt, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
The death toll rose as thousands of soldiers scoured the destruction left in the wake of the receding waters, clearing roads blocked with trees and cars to rescue the missing.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
His receding hairline could no longer be disguised with styling products, and even his partner noticed how much the hair loss was accelerating.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
The foundational observations for this, which were made more than a century ago, showed that distant galaxies appeared to be receding from us—not only that, but ones farther away were moving faster.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2025
The whole image is a set of geometric elements receding precisely, which either or both ruins or/and enhances a little of the painting’s magic for me.
—Kate Colby
october 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for receding
Noun
-
According to True West magazine, the townspeople actually dug Hooch up for the second hanging.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
28 Oct. 2025
-
This measure is meant to prevent self-harm by strangulation or hanging.—
Rachel Wegner,
Nashville Tennessean,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Hurricane conditions are occurring within the warning area in Cuba but expected to begin subsiding this afternoon.—
MIAMI HERALD HURRICANE BOT,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Dray also highlighted Honeywell’s strong and enduring core businesses, which subsiding headwinds from here should allow the market to focus better on.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
With nothing but West Ham’s rapidly retreating defence in front of him, and an instant four-on-four, Guimaraes drove forward before picking out Murphy to his right, in a position to isolate left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf with a one-vs-one.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
-
After retreating behind the walls of Culloden Parks, the remaining fighters soon surrendered.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Even after weeks of drying winds, the crackly leaves worked themselves into every corner and declivity.—
Annie Proulx,
New Yorker,
10 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
As Arizona squeezes more money from its decreasing share of river water, freighting every drop with critical industries and a booming housing market, the price of water is bound to keep climbing.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The effect of climate change on traditional bear food sources, a steep population decline in rural areas, and the decreasing number of hunters have been cited as factors driving the rise in bear encounters.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Ciattarelli called it an affordability crisis and has called for withdrawing from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, an agreement among Northeast states to cap their emissions.—
Ryan Mancini,
The Hill,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Elsewhere in the league, Virginia Tech’s Neoklis Avdalas declared for the draft last year out of Greece before withdrawing.—
Sam Vecenie,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
However, the league is looking to its next steps to after the 2025 season saw a 5% decline in game attendance, according to Sports Business Journal.—
Jessica Golden,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
-
But their party went into swift decline during the Cold War that began in the late 1940s and barely exists today.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Before the night was out, Germans began chipping away at the barrier, carrying off chunks of one of the symbols of the diminishing Iron Curtain.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Business leaders say that such policies risk accelerating an exodus of companies, diminishing the city’s commercial tax base, and ultimately affecting services and jobs essential to millions of New Yorkers.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Receding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/receding. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share