RETROGRADING Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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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

Verb

Authorities warned against hiking this route this time of year due to deteriorating conditions and the onset of winter weather.

— Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Malaysia on Friday ordered hundreds of schools closed in several states because of deteriorating air quality.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of deteriorating

Verb

The winds develop when air moves from the Great Basin west toward the California coast, descending mountain slopes and becoming warmer and drier.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
The drive winds through the verdant mountains of eastern Antioquia before descending into the Aburrá Valley, where Medellín stretches across the valley floor and surrounding hillsides.

— Nikkita Nair, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of descending

Verb

The victim went to the campus health clinic in August with worsening finger tingling and numbness, and leg weakness.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
Stocks dropped to their worst day since July on Wednesday after the latest signal that inflation is worsening.

— Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of worsening

Verb

The energy crisis coupled with crumbling infrastructure have sent prices of basic goods skyrocketing.

— Matt Gutman, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
The drawing, which depicts a crumbling stone arcade spanning a body of water, is being sold by Oxford, UK, auction house Mallams, where it is expected to fetch between £40,000 and £60,000 ($53,000 to $79,000).

— News Desk, Artforum, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of crumbling

Verb

Women naturally store less creatine than men, and during perimenopause and menopause, declining estrogen can take a toll on both muscle health and mental clarity.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 15 Oct. 2026
The result has been sturdy economic growth, even as lower-income and even middle-income households have continued to struggle under stubborn inflation and declining earnings.

— Rob Wile, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of declining

Browse Nearby Words

retrogrades

retrograding

retrogress

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“Retrograding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retrograding. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of retrograding

verb

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