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
Verb
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As her centennial birthday approaches this July, Saar shows no signs of slowing down.—
Leigh-Ann Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026 -
The cold aches through your bones, and the streets become small rivers, slowing every step.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But then, with one lap to go and the white flag already out, his Open-car competitor Corey LaJoie spun out, and instead of braking and avoiding the carnage, Mears smashed his foot on the pedal and zoomed ahead of LaJoie before the caution came out.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
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Stanton demonstrates his battery by shorting the coils, which halts the pendulum due to the magnetic field’s braking effect.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Retarding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retarding. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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