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retarding

verb

present participle of retard
as in slowing
to cause to move or proceed at a less rapid pace an herbicide to retard the growth of weeds

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retarding
  1. slowing
  2. braking
Verb
  • But Clemson reeled the Tar Heels back in, slowing down a rushing attack led by Benjamin Hall (130 rushing yards) and making quarterback Billy Edwards, by the end, look flustered and out of sorts.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The outbreak has shown signs of slowing since, but experts caution that the recovery may be patchwork.
    — Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of slowing
Verb
  • This section ends with another heavy braking zone at Turn 17, where speeds are expected to drop from 175mph to around 60mph.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Aston Martin / Brough Superior Brough’s also doing its double-wishbone ‘Fior fork’ front suspension that separates steering and braking forces, and avoids diving.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of braking
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.

Browse Nearby Words

retarded
retarding
retards
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Cite this Entry

“Retarding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retarding. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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