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
Relevance
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
as in retrogressing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 11 Sep. 2025
Front and center frame, Chiliwhist Jim presides over the scene, and the camera, while the white men and their dog sit or stand idly, receding into the perspectival distance behind him.
—Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
An expanse of nothing preceding them, receding behind them, ruptured only by the trap music coming from the speakers.
—Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
McGregor began publicly expressing anti-immigration and anti-asylum seeker views in 2022 after his career in fighting seemed to be receding and around the same time that far-right ethno-nationalism was rising in Ireland.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Even as the flood waters were receding, parents like Lacey were galvanized to fight for change.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
The entry level jobs are receding even faster than the Great Salt Lake is drying up!
—John Sviokla, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
But inventory landed on the market as buyers were receding to the sidelines due to rising costs and prohibitive mortgage rates, which are still hovering near the 7 percent mark.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
For example, Boneck noted that as water is receding in basements, the reports, too, show a decrease in the average inches reported.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
Moreover, Hubble put together a superior set of observations that further revealed that the more distant a galaxy was from us, the faster it was observed to be receding away from us as well.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 11 Sep. 2025
Front and center frame, Chiliwhist Jim presides over the scene, and the camera, while the white men and their dog sit or stand idly, receding into the perspectival distance behind him.
—Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
An expanse of nothing preceding them, receding behind them, ruptured only by the trap music coming from the speakers.
—Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
McGregor began publicly expressing anti-immigration and anti-asylum seeker views in 2022 after his career in fighting seemed to be receding and around the same time that far-right ethno-nationalism was rising in Ireland.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Even as the flood waters were receding, parents like Lacey were galvanized to fight for change.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
The entry level jobs are receding even faster than the Great Salt Lake is drying up!
—John Sviokla, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
But inventory landed on the market as buyers were receding to the sidelines due to rising costs and prohibitive mortgage rates, which are still hovering near the 7 percent mark.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
For example, Boneck noted that as water is receding in basements, the reports, too, show a decrease in the average inches reported.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for receding
Verb
-
By 2008, Americans were withdrawing, and combat deaths were subsiding to their lowest level since the start of the occupation.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
-
The totals included two new records, coinciding with a subsiding Middle Tennessee heat wave.—
Andy Humbles,
The Tennessean,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Schools, churches, small shops that survived the devastating 2010 earthquake that killed over 300,000 are now a pile of rubble, part of the apocalyptic landscape left behind by the retreating forces that control almost all of Haiti’s capital.—
Johnny Fils-Aimé,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Water is rapidly replacing ice along the coastal plain of southeastern Alaska, where glaciers are thinning and retreating, with meltwater forming lakes off of their fronts, NASA says.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Using faux chenille, a fabric manipulation technique that creates layered textures, Threadapeutic produces richly tactile works that can take three months to complete, such as Gather and Shore wall hangings made from lace, brocade and tulle scraps.—
Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Subtle bits of faux wheat give it additional texture, and there’s an attached loop in the back for easy hanging.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Coaxing summer-flowering annuals to flower in fall is hit and miss as nutrient availability is dwindling and hours of daylight are decreasing.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The central bank is expected to start decreasing rates at its meeting next week after being on pause since December.—
Michelle Fox,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The 4% rule traditionally involves withdrawing 4% of a portfolio in the first year of retirement and then adjusting the rate in subsequent years for inflation.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The reaction to this was dynamic, which for some meant withdrawing from opportunities and for others contributed to burnout and decisions to leave their jobs altogether.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 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
-
The difference is the wisdom to recognize that giving away public-trust land and diminishing our quality of life forsakes the permanent greater good for the temporary benefit of a few developers and residents.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Sep. 2025
-
In an era of diminishing trust in government institutions and the media, conspiracy theories about high-profile crimes can get significant traction in the absence of a conclusive motive.—
Ernesto Londoño,
Twin Cities,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Chinese authorities said that headline CPI had slipped into negative territory largely due to the high-base last year and lower food prices, while crediting the narrower decline in producer prices in part to Beijing's efforts in regulating the excessive price competition.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Apple—which topped the World’s Best Companies list in 2024—is notably absent this year due to a decline in revenue from 2022 to 2024, which many Wall Street analysts have postulated could be due to the company falling behind on AI.—
Charlotte Hu,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Receding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/receding. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share