receding 1 of 3

adjective

as in retrogressing

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

receding

2 of 3

noun

as in hanging

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

receding

3 of 3

verb

present participle of recede
1
as in subsiding
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually the sound of sirens receded as the fire engines roared off into the distance

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in retreating
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable) after the rain stops, the floodwaters should gradually recede

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 receding
Verb
With his hair receding, Jordan shaved his head clean in 1989 and turned the look into one of the most recognisable images in sport. — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Authorities in Hungary closed Budapest’s Margaret Bridge after a bomb dating from World War II emerged at its base in receding water. — Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026 When Lake Mead last plunged to record-low water levels in 2022, its dramatically receding shoreline revealed all manner of curiosities. — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 In August 2025, the remains of a British researcher who vanished in 1959 in Antarctica were discovered amid rocks near a receding glacier on King George Island, located off the Antarctic Peninsula. — CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 The discovery of bodies in receding glaciers isn’t new for the region. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026 The lake's receding waters are also uncovering ghost towns flooded when the Hoover Dam was built, along with prehistoric salt mines. — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026 This is a short term arrangement till a more permanent construction is completed in the coming weeks that will manage water flow in the receding river. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026 Although White River water levels are slowly receding from historic peaks, any additional rain could cause more flooding, the NWS said. — Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 17 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for receding
  1. stopped
  2. hanging
  3. subsiding
  4. retreating
  5. declivity
  6. decreasing
  7. withdrawing
  8. decline
Adjective
  • Three other vehicles with human drivers then appeared to illegally pass the stopped bus.
    — Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 3 Mar. 2026
  • The truck crossed into the eastbound lane and crashed into the stopped Kia, striking the three pedestrians, CHP said.
    — Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Feb. 2026
Definition of stopped
Noun
  • The living room in this one is a real standout and includes a window seat with integrated storage, along with one of those fancy hanging fireplaces that burns bioethanol.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Their ever-changing gallery artists include oil, watercolor, photography, mixed media, digital art, wall-hangings, textiles, gourds, wood-turning, pottery, jewelry, glasswork, etc.
    — News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of hanging
Verb
  • Two of them coincide with areas where satellite radar shows that the ground is actively subsiding.
    — Nolan Roth, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Key Background The crisis appeared to be subsiding somewhat Friday as Spanish authorities said a majority of the 60,000 people who crossed into Ceuta from Morocco over the past several days had returned home.
    — Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of subsiding
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
Definition of retreating
Noun
  • Even after weeks of drying winds, the crackly leaves worked themselves into every corner and declivity.
    — Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
Definition of declivity
Verb
  • The vaccines don’t block all flu infections but do help prevent the worst outcomes, decreasing older adults’ hospitalizations by 31%, according to the Vaccine Integrity Project, a public health group based at the University of Minnesota.
    — Lauran Neergaard, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • If the network of user devices is substantial enough, every job can be routed to a nearby device, decreasing the latency.
    — Dina Genkina, IEEE Spectrum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of decreasing
Verb
  • During this period, Obayuwana allegedly tried to cash at least three Treasury tax refund checks worth $382,109 and was successful in cashing one, withdrawing $229,109, federal authorities allege.
    — Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Mementum is trying to run from that fight by withdrawing its letter.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of withdrawing
Noun
  • Larger coupon payments now provide a cushion against further price declines, unlike the low-yield environment earlier this decade.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Later, Hammer filmed her body’s visible decline from a long battle with cancer, concluding with her death in 2019 at age 79.
    — Rachel Handler, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of decline

Browse Nearby Words

recedes (from)
receding
receding (from)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Receding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/receding. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All