receding 1 of 3

adjective

as in retrogressing

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receding

2 of 3

noun

as in hanging

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receding

3 of 3

verb

present participle of recede
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

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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

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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
Verb
There is the Château d’Azay-le-Rideau on an island in the Loire Valley, plagued by flooding, as well as the opposite—receding water levels that expose its wooden, foundational beams to air and decomposition. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 29 Oct. 2026 Neeley said the floodwaters were receding but left mud and silt, much of which has been contaminated with sewage because of failures at waste plants. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 In the Farmington area of New Mexico, local officials said that swollen rivers were receding but that many people remained evacuated and hundreds were without power. — Anna Wilder, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026 Nighttime mouth breathing is associated with snoring, dry mouth, receding gums and sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing stops repeatedly during sleep. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026 The Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky is perhaps the greatest chronicler of that era of scale, which stretched across the long twentieth century and only now shows the first signs of receding. — Bill McKibben, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026 Oil is high, but not that high and the risk with Iran has been receding with oil prices coming down. — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 There is a lot of money in the market, but some of it appears to be receding and the number of commissions is coming down. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026 Borasov’s patchy hair, already receding into lines of code when the movie first introduces Sutskever at the age of 17. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for receding
  1. stopped
  2. hanging
  3. subsiding
  4. retreating
  5. declivity
  6. decreasing
  7. withdrawing
  8. decline
Adjective
  • The truck driver swerved to the right to avoid the stopped vehicle, and struck the driver who was standing outside.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The girl with a backpack on could be seen crossing the street while looking at her phone before the stopped truck began moving beside her, in videos obtained by ABC station WPVI and CBS station KYW.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of stopped
Noun
  • Smock testified that an injury to Birchmore's chest was caused by a clasp on the duffel bag strap that was used to hang her but that the clasp was not found near her chest, suggesting Birchmore's hanging was staged.
    — Louisa Moller, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • None of his many prizes and honors were on display, but there was a wall hanging—made by the Mathematics Genealogy Project, of North Dakota State University—recording generations upon generations of who had studied under whom.
    — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of hanging
Verb
  • Multiple Kelvin waves These waves can bring elevated sea levels for weeks at a time, eventually subsiding before the next wave hits.
    — Zoe Mintz, CBS News, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Two of them coincide with areas where satellite radar shows that the ground is actively subsiding.
    — Nolan Roth, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of subsiding
Verb
  • Shy, retreating Minnie was happy to bask in Callie’s light, while Helen’s existence was almost entirely dedicated to her only daughter.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The actual battle had ended with Glover’s men retreating across the Hutchinson River.
    — Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of retreating
Noun
  • Even after weeks of drying winds, the crackly leaves worked themselves into every corner and declivity.
    — Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
Definition of declivity
Verb
  • Her priorities include lowering costs by expanding Medicaid, fully funded pre-kindergarten and decreasing property taxes in a sustainable way.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Black representation is already decreasing at City Hall, a concern among some Black community leaders.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of decreasing
Verb
  • The city would also be prohibited from withdrawing more than 50% of the amount of money in the fund unless the mayor certifies that there is a compelling fiscal need.
    — Digital Producer, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Uganda is withdrawing troops deployed for years in Somalia under an African Union peacekeeping force that helped repel militants in the Horn of Africa nation, military authorities said on Monday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of withdrawing
Noun
  • And Musk’s businesses took a hit on Wednesday after already seeing declines in overnight trading.
    — Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Consequently, industry experts emphasize that underlying supply tightness remains unchanged, suggesting overnight crude price declines reflect short term market sentiment reactions to election results rather than shifting fundamentals.
    — , CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of decline

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Cite this Entry

“Receding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/receding. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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