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 Kelly's office said damages will be monumental to both public infrastructure and private properties, with estimates impossible to determine until floodwaters recede. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 5 July 2025 The traffic receded as Chicago withdrew into the distance behind me on Interstate 90. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 4 July 2025 The Kentucky River in Frankfort is receding after cresting at 48.2 feet Monday, marking the second highest level recorded during the distillery’s more than 200 years in business, officials said. Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025 As the water recedes, staff will clean a roughly one-mile stretch. Bebe Hodges, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for recede
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recede
Verb
  • The excitement over Tesla’s robotaxi launch is subsiding as fewer social media videos are posted.
    Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 2 July 2025
  • Investors have cheered as stocks have swiftly recovered to fresh highs and volatility has subsided.
    John Towfighi, CNN Money, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • Of course, the former two had retired whereas the latter had only temporarily withdrawn.
    Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 4 July 2025
  • The result will be an increase in preying on immigrants by the criminal element: robbery, protection scams, sweatshop labor and human trafficking, as the immigrant community withdraws from reliance on no-longer-safe court systems.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 4 July 2025
Verb
  • The best wrinkle creams on Amazon prove that drugstore prices don't diminish efficacy.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 8 July 2025
  • Eggs may not be quite so extreme, since the bird flu problem is expected to diminish.
    Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • And in this story, Superman retreats from the world after being rejected by the public for adhering to an older moral code.
    Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 July 2025
  • The nonsectarian center hosts retreats that range from 3 to 13 nights, for a wide variety of experience levels, with a central focus on Theravadin teachings and bodhicitta (striving to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings).
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 9 July 2025
Verb
  • The recent data represents a downward trend as COVID-19 cases and deaths have decreased statewide into early summer, the state dashboard shows.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 7 July 2025
  • Revenue has remained relatively stagnant, decreasing slightly from $153 million to $152 million over the past year.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • The same's true for someone who is retired and taking taxable withdrawals from traditional 401(k) plans.
    Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 14 July 2025
  • Merle sold his barbershop the same day and retired.
    Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • After the second session, the tumor in my lung vanished.
    Tim Ryan, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025
  • Jennifer Kesse, 24, vanished from her Orlando condo complex after leaving for work on the morning of Jan. 24, 2006, stumping both state and federal investigators as authorities raced to catch her abductor.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2025
Verb
  • Partner that with another warning sign: A declining ratio of U.S. exports to imports while the U.S. deficit increases into record territory – like trade falling two months in a row, atypical since the former tends to remain steady even as the deficit increases.
    Ken Roberts, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
  • As 2024 began, demand for electricity on the national grid started falling—not because the economy was in decline but because (as careful scrutiny of images on Google Earth revealed) so many Pakistanis were putting up solar panels.
    Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 9 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Recede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recede. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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