retrograding

verb

present participle of retrograde
as in deteriorating
to become worse or of less value the Dark Ages, the period following the fall of the Roman Empire when Western civilization seriously retrograded

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 retrograding Among these were melodic concepts like inversion (flipping a tune), transposition (shifting it up or down scales), retrograding (reversal), and translation (movement over time). — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Feb. 2026 Mercury retrograding back into Scorpio wants to get to the bottom of your contracts. — Usa Today, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025 And then comes the 11/11 portal, where Jupiter begins retrograding in Cancer, your sector of home, family, and emotional roots. — Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retrograding
  1. deteriorating
  2. descending
  3. worsening
  4. crumbling
  5. declining
Verb
  • The referendum would authorize Miami to issue $450 million in general obligation bonds to repair or replace deteriorating police and fire-rescue facilities, including construction of a new public safety building near Miami Freedom Park.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Declining industrial demand can make the electricity balance sheet look healthier, when the reality is that the economy is deteriorating under the pressure of relentless attacks.
    — Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of deteriorating
Verb
  • As the plane was descending, a man believed to be Gregory could be heard reciting the Lord’s Prayer, according to air traffic controller audio.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Some went as far as likening the outage to life in prehistoric times or descending into madness.
    — Angela Yang, NBC news, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of descending
Verb
  • Akio Kon | Bloomberg | Getty Images As Intel comes off its steepest stock drop since the 1970s due to a worsening outlook for the PC market, the chipmaker is facing intensifying pressure to get its flailing foundry business off the ground.
    — Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The trial was halted early, though, when results indicated that the drug was worsening people’s cognition.
    — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of worsening
Verb
  • Before it was demolished in the early 1800s, his crumbling mansion was said to be haunted by ghosts and strange occurrences.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • While the bread is toasting, cook sausage in a large skillet, crumbling it into pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned, 3 minutes.
    — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of crumbling
Verb
  • With shot numbers declining, a study found more babies are at risk of bleeding.
    — Dr. Jade Cobern, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Public fallout Despite all his success, though, his relationship with the national team has slowly soured over the last few years – much in part due to his declining performances on the field.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of declining

Browse Nearby Words

retrogrades
retrograding
retrogress
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Cite this Entry

“Retrograding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retrograding. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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