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
Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
The film slowly sheds its main characters—receding ice, a grandfather lost, and a grandmother slipping away last.
—Erika Owen, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 June 2026
On June 6, a man with a slightly receding hairline walked into a beachside tattoo stand in Chennai, India, showed the proprietor a message on a phone screen, and, with video recording the whole process, settled in to get a line of text apparently tattooed across his forehead.
—T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 12 June 2026
Deep green hills covered in dense trees rise in the background, receding into the far distance — representing the many ways that wild land seems to thrive in this vast urban space.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
The Sagrada Familia is a global pulpit, but it's set in a country where Christianity is receding.
—ABC News, 9 June 2026
Her portrait of residents pinched between floods and receding sea ice is a testament to their love of this vulnerable land that is their home.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Flood waters along Four Mile Creek are receding.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2026
However, the Serie A outfit’s hopes of signing Alisson are receding with the Merseyside club showing no willingness to sanction the departure of their long-serving No 1.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Verb
Stamfordham, a military veteran with a thick drooping mustache and receding hairline, sat down at his desk in Windsor Castle on April 17 and penned a note to the War Office.
—Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
The film slowly sheds its main characters—receding ice, a grandfather lost, and a grandmother slipping away last.
—Erika Owen, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 June 2026
On June 6, a man with a slightly receding hairline walked into a beachside tattoo stand in Chennai, India, showed the proprietor a message on a phone screen, and, with video recording the whole process, settled in to get a line of text apparently tattooed across his forehead.
—T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 12 June 2026
Deep green hills covered in dense trees rise in the background, receding into the far distance — representing the many ways that wild land seems to thrive in this vast urban space.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
The Sagrada Familia is a global pulpit, but it's set in a country where Christianity is receding.
—ABC News, 9 June 2026
Her portrait of residents pinched between floods and receding sea ice is a testament to their love of this vulnerable land that is their home.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Flood waters along Four Mile Creek are receding.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2026
However, the Serie A outfit’s hopes of signing Alisson are receding with the Merseyside club showing no willingness to sanction the departure of their long-serving No 1.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for receding
Adjective
-
Three other vehicles with human drivers then appeared to illegally pass the stopped bus.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The truck crossed into the eastbound lane and crashed into the stopped Kia, striking the three pedestrians, CHP said.—
Aidin Vaziri,
San Francisco Chronicle,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Original paint remains on the classic hanging sign, and the old store countertops were turned into dining tables, so the building’s history stays part of the space.—
Christina Daves,
Southern Living,
18 June 2026
-
Records from the medical examiner reviewed by Entertainment Weekly listed his causes of death as sequelae of anoxic brain injury and hanging.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
If your garden is anything like mine, your poppies have petered out and your sages are subsiding.—
Pedro Moura,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Breezy winds return on Tuesday after subsiding somewhat on Monday.—
Rachael Jay,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
That may help to explain why premium spirits brands are not retreating in the face of no-and-low.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
But retreating indoors can come at a cost.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
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
-
Others primarily improve quality of life, extend survival or delay complications without necessarily decreasing total lifetime healthcare expenditures.—
Jeffrey Wessler,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Orbán hopes the Patriots for Europe will be a vehicle for transforming the EU to his vision, for example, by decreasing the bloc’s purview in matters of rule of law and democracy, taking a zero-tolerance approach to immigration and steering toward deeper cooperation with Russia and China.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
After battling through injury during Saturday's third round at the RBC Canadian Open, Brooks Koepka opted not to give it a go in the final round, ultimately withdrawing from the PGA Tour event on Sunday morning.—
Mark Harris,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
This is because Roth IRAs allow withdrawals of your contributions penalty-free (there are, however, stipulations for withdrawing earnings).—
Becca Stanek,
TheWeek,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
The findings indicate that bird-watching and similar hobbies may support overall brain health, though researchers stop short of saying the activity definitively halts cognitive decline.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
-
Earlier this year, a judge ordered the Bureau of Land Management to close roughly 2,000 miles of off highway vehicle trails in the western Mojave to reduce ongoing harm to the endangered desert tortoise, a keystone species of the local ecosystem whose numbers are in steep decline.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Receding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/receding. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
