recede

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb recede contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of recede are back, retract, and retreat. While all these words mean "to move backward," recede implies a gradual withdrawing from a forward or high fixed point in time or space.

the flood waters gradually receded

In what contexts can back take the place of recede?

The meanings of back and recede largely overlap; however, back is used with up, down, out, or off to refer to any retrograde motion.

backed off on the throttle

When could retract be used to replace recede?

In some situations, the words retract and recede are roughly equivalent. However, retract implies drawing back from an extended position.

a cat retracting its claws

When would retreat be a good substitute for recede?

While the synonyms retreat and recede are close in meaning, retreat implies withdrawal from a point or position reached.

retreating soldiers

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 recede Not when Kate is receding into the background, like Homer Simpson into his hedge. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 7 Apr. 2025 In a warming world, receding snowpack is expected to slow maple growth and cause root damage. Nina Foster, JSTOR Daily, 28 Mar. 2025 As remote work recedes and return-to-office mandates sweep across industries, those professional blazers and suits languishing in the back of your closet are due for a comeback. Pooja Shah, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025 The eclipse can last more than an hour in places like Halifax, Nova Scotia, as the moon slowly glides over 83 percent of the sun, reaches a maximum point and then recedes. Katrina Miller, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for recede
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recede
Verb
  • While the threat of more tornadoes has subsided in the Great Plains, fire danger remains elevated Monday in the region.
    Ginger Zee, ABC News, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Inflation, which went wild post-Covid, subsided in February, according to data yesterday that gave markets a brief reprieve.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Outreach workers who live among farmworkers are withdrawing a little, too.
    Amy Maxmen | KFF Health News, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Artificial intelligence and digital surveillance systems are perhaps less likely to identify who is eating alone at lunch or withdrawing from friends.
    Jackie Valley, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The previous six champions were all diminished the following season by either injuries or significant roster changes.
    Jay King, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • But the same things that prevent parents from maintaining employment or housing — especially substance abuse and mental illness — often inhibit them from engaging in services, while also diminishing their ability to protect and care for their children.
    Emily Putnam-Hornstein and Naomi Schaefer Riley, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The Yankees’ second baseman then threw his helmet before retreating to the clubhouse.
    Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Instead of an opportunity to gawk and marvel, The Silent Twins presents these two sisters — who retreated inside themselves and spoke only to each other for years — with a sense of complete individuality and autonomy.
    Barry Levitt, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • And the over-all number of abortions in the U.S. may eventually decrease as a result of Dobbs.
    Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • On the other hand, just 5 percent said tariffs would decrease prices in the short term, and 30 percent said the policy would lower prices in the long term.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • O'Keefe was found on the front lawn of another Boston police officer who has since retired, Brian Albert.
    Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The following year, a neck injury sustained in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers forced him to retire at age 39.
    Omaid Homayun, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • American man who vanished during dinner in tourist hot spot found dead.
    FOXNews.com, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Cox was also implicated in the deaths of J.J. and Tylee, who vanished in September 2019.
    Christine Pelisek, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • And bond market yields fall by about 150 basis points (1.5 percentage points).11 The Fed Fed Chair Powell says the Fed is waiting for the softening survey data to translate into hard data before moving toward lower interest rates.
    Robert Barone, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Mary had brought her mother, who had suffered multiple mental-health crises, to live with the family; Phyllis then fell ill with metastatic lung cancer, and Mary served as her caretaker.
    Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Recede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recede. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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