RECEDE Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

recede

verb

ri-ˈsēd

Definition of recede

as in to subside

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to withdraw

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

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 Although many residents have begun returning home as floodwaters recede, thousands remain in relief camps. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 An earlier estimate put the total property damage cost in the tens of millions of dollars, though the full impact of the storms likely won't be realized until the floodwaters continue to crest and recede throughout the state, Braun said. — Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 18 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 Lead with quantified outcomes so tenure year gaps recede as footnotes. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for recede

Recent Examples of Synonyms for recede

Verb

Washington and Tehran agreed in June to a 60-day ceasefire, allowing time to negotiate a more durable peace deal while active fighting subsided and the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened.

— Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
The drama of last year’s Ole Miss team under Lane Kiffin has subsided.

— PJ Green August 16, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of subside

Verb

Being part of a dominant defense was one reason players like Camon withdrew from the NCAA transfer portal.

— Gerald Thomas III, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
The first clarifies that its PLX product does not provide law enforcement agencies with geolocation data, and the second says that the company has reached out to the complaint's authors to ask that the complaint against Penlink be withdrawn.

— Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of withdraw

Verb

The term refers to when tobacco companies in the 1990s were forced to pay billions of dollars for misleading the public about the safety and potential harms of their products, and subsequently saw their power and influence dramatically diminished.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
The filter significantly diminishes elements commonly found in water that can be damaging, like chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, heavy metals, and more.

— Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of diminish

Verb

Netanyahu says Israel will not retreat from any of its positions in Gaza until Hamas has been completely disarmed.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
When the Hills couple faced financial issues after the show ended, the two retreated to Pratt’s parents’ beach home in Carpinteria, California, to get back to regular life.

— Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of retreat

Verb

As would be expected, oil demand was forced to decrease, to match available supply.

— Jason Bordoff, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026
Only 15% believed the statements would decrease the patients’ likelihood of seeking treatment—even though that's what tended to happen in the researchers' simulations.

— Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of decrease

Verb

In Sarah Pekkanen’s new thriller, The Women in White, a young health-care aide probes how four female participants in a 1964 parapsychology experiment suddenly vanished.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 20 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, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of vanish

Verb

When night falls, another show begins with a dedicated corner of the estate designed for stargazing.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
Zinc ions enter the electrode first at higher voltages, while much smaller protons are stored later as the voltage falls.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of fall

Cite this Entry

Style

“Recede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recede. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of recede

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on recede

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

rigmarole

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes