1
2
as in vacation
a period during which the usual routine of school or work is suspended
the couple goes to Florida every January for a month-long recess from the rigors of winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in pause
a momentary halt in an activity
the judge called for a brief recess so that the witness could regain her composure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in hole
a sunken area forming a separate space
decided to camp in a sandy recess where the beach met the forest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to suspend
to bring to a formal close for a period of time
the judge recessed the court for lunch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of recess
Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026
Here’s a look at the coming debate as Republicans hope to pass a bill before leaving for their August recess.
—Kevin Freking, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
Miami Herald, 16 May 2026
The curved and recessed arms are comfortable and add softness to the design, and the seat and back are padded with thick foam that’s supportive and won’t crush with use.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for recess
Noun
Then on April 10, when the garden club usually meets on Fridays at recess, the students got to work with Uplift staff planting plants provided by the property management company.
—Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026
Here’s a look at the coming debate as Republicans hope to pass a bill before leaving for their August recess.
—Kevin Freking, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
Verb
The House briefly recessed but returned one hour later to approve the map.
—Miami Herald, 16 May 2026
The curved and recessed arms are comfortable and add softness to the design, and the seat and back are padded with thick foam that’s supportive and won’t crush with use.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for recess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recess
Noun
-
Follow the lanterns towards the sandy alcove in the middle of the island to find Middle Eastern restaurant Cargo, where chunky lamb chops and freshly baked pita bread are prepped in a shipping container kitchen.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
-
Surveillance video showed the rabbi being shoved into the alcove of building and choked.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
His company helps travelers book luxury vacation rentals in Turks and Caicos.—
Lily Brown,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
-
Discover verified Agoda coupons and discount codes to save on hotels, flights, and vacation packages.—
Jamie Spain,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Anthropic, one of OpenAI’s top competitors, has proposed mechanisms for coordinating pauses on advanced AI development if systems become too powerful.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
-
Located in the city's dynamic tech district, Whitefield, The Den Bengaluru seamlessly bridges heritage and innovation, offering an environment where guests can move seamlessly between focused work, casual connection, and moments of pause.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Your pilot can also fly you over to Dent Island for your tee time at the 18-hole championship course.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
The sides or water bottle pockets end up with holes in them from rubbing against my tires, which makes pushing incredibly frustrating.—
Keely Cat-Wells,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
At the time, OpenAI indefinitely suspended FoloToy’s developer access.—
Noelle Harff,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
Ohio, one of the nation’s data center destination hot spots, is suspending a tax break that has been critical to its competition with other states to attract the massive new facilities that power and train artificial intelligence chatbots.—
Marc Levy,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Then, there are the aforementioned films — a holiday comedy and horror comedy, which are slated for 2027 and 2028, respectively.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
-
Walking holidays are surging across Europe and North America as travelers swap rushed city-hopping for slower, scenic routes — and the inn-to-inn walking tour has emerged as one of the most popular ways to do it.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Back then, the economy saw a lull in productivity growth as a transformative new technology took hold.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
28 May 2026
-
That lull is deceptive and even stronger winds can quickly resume.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Unlike standard carbon filters, these molecular cages force PFAS molecules to clump together inside a cavity, achieving a 98 percent removal rate.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
3 June 2026
-
The bees will form a temporary cluster, hanging out while scouts search the surrounding area for a more permanent home in hollow spaces like tree cavities or, occasionally, the walls of a home.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Recess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recess. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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