RETIRING Synonyms: 165 Similar and Opposite Words

retiring 1 of 2

adjective

ri-ˈtī(-ə)r-iŋ

Definition of retiring

as in withdrawn

not comfortable around people one retiring young girl was sitting alone quietly in a corner during the party

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

retiring

2 of 2

verb

present participle of retire

as in settling

to go to one's bed in order to sleep I'm exhausted, so I think I'll retire for the evening

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sacking

to let go from office, service, or employment as a part of its restructuring, the company has begun to retire its older employees

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in withdrawing

to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable) the insurgents have retired to the outskirts of the city, but appear to be readying themselves for another offensive

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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 retiring

Adjective

Rangel, a mustachioed, natty dresser rarely seen with a hair out of place, hardly had a reputation for a shy and retiring personality. — Daily News Staff, New York Daily News, 26 May 2025 After running more than 400 games, the researchers concluded that a fully passive style of scavenging – snatching some carrion when no one is looking – was too retiring and less than ideal. — Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2023 Austen’s most retiring and internal heroine, spends much of the movie chatting to the camera, even giving sarcastic glances and eye rolls in the middle of the action. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 July 2022 So a more retiring co-parent certainly can be, say, the homework explainer and behind-the-scenes calendar keeper while the more outgoing parent takes meetings and makes phone calls – absolutely. — Carolyn Hax, Detroit Free Press, 15 May 2018 In part, that's because Hemsley is probably the most retiring, publicity-adverse CEO heading an iconic company. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2017

Verb

Chang succeeds Brian Peay, who is retiring after 10 years as CFO. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026 The sellers, who are retiring, had purchased the retail space from The Arlington’s original developers in 2007. — Kimberly Tutuska, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026 Golden, who is retiring this year from a battleground House seat, is the prime Democratic co-sponsor on the bill. — Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026 For those companies still accustomed to operating analog systems, there is often a shrinking pool of talent specializing in legacy technologies, with more of them retiring every year. — Timor Brik, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Cousy was one of the NBA's first superstars as the dazzling point guard on the dynastic Boston Celtics before retiring in 1963 after winning his fifth straight NBA title and his 12th All-NBA selection. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 Cao, who immigrated to the United States with his family from Vietnam, served in the Navy for more than 30 years before retiring in 2021. — Miles J. Herszenhorn, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 After retiring the first batter, Palencia, in a scary moment, hit the Diamondbacks’ Jordan Lawlar in the head with his pitch. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Carroll, an executive from ENGIE North America, will replace Lisa Drake, who is retiring after 32 years at Ford. — Jamie L. Lareau, Freep.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retiring

Adjective

In an era of ball-to-feet No 10s and withdrawn strikers, Welbeck stays high up the pitch, runs the channels and occupies defenders.

— Liam Tharme, New York Times, 27 July 2026
The withdrawn earnings are taxed as ordinary income, the Treasury said.

— Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 11 July 2026

Definition of withdrawn

Verb

Brighton could progress the ball into Chelsea’s third and then settle into possession, becoming comfortable enough to maintain it, with the Chelsea players settling into a block.

— Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Average daily volume across US prediction markets reached nearly $2 billion in July, settling everything from Fed decisions to World Cup outcomes to Congressional votes.

— Semafor Events, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of settling

Verb

Looking toward the opposite bench after sacking the quarterback is not something that should’ve cost the Chicago Bears 15 yards and a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021, and yet this is a thing that happened.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Whereas owners previously diffused negative situations by sacking a head coach, changing a sporting director or someone prominent within the department can now have a similar effect.

— Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of sacking

Verb

Van Aert’s victory extends his lead over Brennan to 65 points in the uncompetitive green jersey contest, with his only realistic rival, Lidl-Trek’s Mads Pedersen, withdrawing from the race earlier this week.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
The council eventually agreed in May to delay implementation of the minimum wage increase by 18 months in exchange for the business coalition withdrawing the gross receipts measure.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of withdrawing

Adjective

Dell's strong comments on demand for AI servers is spreading to Nvidia , with shares up more than 3% and trading a few dollars shy of levels after last week's strong earnings.

— Jeff Marks,Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
That's just two shy of the SpaceX reuse record, which was set by B1067 last week.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of shy

Verb

Of course there is a fire risk associated with sleeping rough, but most encampment fires start in dense neighborhoods like Skid Row.

— Maggie McGowan, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026
Best Gear Deals From sleeping comfortably under the stars to enjoying a hot cup of coffee at sunrise, the right gear can elevate any camping trip, and REI’s sale is packed with worthwhile upgrades.

— Kaitlin Marks, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of sleeping

Verb

Stepping into the public sphere rather than retreating became both a survival strategy and a refuge—an assertion of political and artistic self-determination.

— Elisa R. Linn, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
The player reported that the man had opened a knife and moved toward him before retreating into his room.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026