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 Mitch McConnell, the long-standing Senate majority leader who’s in recent months receded from view. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2025 Workers from the San Jose Department of Transportation cleared the street catch basins, allowing the water to recede. Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2025 According to the river forecast center, water levels should recede below minor flooding levels on Thursday afternoon before briefly hitting around 19 feet on Saturday and lowering again. Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 13 Feb. 2025 As the ice continued to recede, the number of stairs reached more than 500 by the 2020s. Jen Murphy, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for recede
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recede
Verb
  • But when Herring gave these patients buprenorphine, their pain and nausea subsided quickly.
    Moises Velasquez-Manoff Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Zak Mouton, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025
  • In the case of the San Francisco Bay Area (specifically, Bay Farm Island, Corte Madera, Foster City and San Rafael), the researchers found that the land is subsiding at a rate of more than 0.4 inch each year as a result of sediment compaction.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • At the 2001 event Venus withdrew with a knee injury,.
    Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Another clash is set to play out at the U.N. on Monday after the U.S. proposed a competing resolution that lacks the same demands as one from Ukraine and the European Union for Moscow’s forces to immediately withdraw from the country.
    Matthew Lee and Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The absence of Ayo Dosunmu — who is dealing with shoulder discomfort from a long-term injury — further diminished the Bulls roster.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Suitable for all skin types, the face oil hydrates while improving elasticity and diminishing the appearance of fine lines.
    Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • With their press broken, Newcastle had to retreat to their 5-4-1 shape but became fatigued making so many recovery runs.
    Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
  • The initiative follows widespread backlash against major retailers and corporations accused of retreating from DEI commitments after the Trump administration took steps to dismantle federal DEI programs.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The analysis found spending on metformin, an older first-line oral drug for Type 2 diabetes that's available as a generic, decreased 5% over the five years studied, to $623 million.
    Adriel Bettelheim, Axios, 25 Feb. 2025
  • For its most recent financial results for the third quarter of 2024, net sales decreased 3.6 percent to $119.1 million over the quarter.
    James Manso, WWD, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Mining engineering programs have been closing in both Europe and North America, and the generation of senior mining executives who helped build mines globally during the commodities boom is retiring.
    Anthony Milewski, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
  • The retired ocean liner was built in the early 1950s and retired in 1969, and has changed hands many times since, with several recent unsuccessful efforts to restore the ship.
    Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Eventually, the item vanished from the State Department's procurement document.
    Bobby Allyn, NPR, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Now with all these things vanished, along with the bookstores and repertory cinemas, the city seems impoverished and disfigured.
    Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Although platforms can rise and fall faster than the tiny-eyeglasses fashion trend, the principles of good marketing stand the test of time.
    Renae Gregoire, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
  • The Shrek franchise launched with the Oscar-winning 2001 feature that centered on an ogre named Shrek, who falls for Fiona, the princess of Far Far Away who has been cursed, trapped in the body of an ogre.
    Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Recede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recede. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on recede

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!