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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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
  1. deteriorating
  2. descending
  3. worsening
  4. crumbling
  5. declining
Verb
  • Families of some of the 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard the Lincoln describe low morale and deteriorating conditions.
    — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Concerns about mental health deteriorating on these types of deployments are well-founded.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of deteriorating
Verb
  • Throughout the night, a massive cylindrical lighting-and-video rig loomed above the stage, descending toward the performers, rising into the rafters and continually changing the dimensions of the space around them.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 10 Aug. 2026
  • One of the first stops is Cascade River State Park, where short hiking trails follow a series of rapids and waterfalls descending toward the lake.
    — Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of descending
Verb
  • The Washington’s deployment comes as reports have emerged in recent months recounting worsening living conditions, mental health concerns, and supply shortages on board the Lincoln.
    — Connor Greene, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The exploration licenses were granted before Greenland stopped issuing new licenses in 2021, citing the worsening climate crisis.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of worsening
Verb
  • Instead of crumbling in defeat, Rivera roared back with defiance.
    — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Puerto Rico has struggled with water and power outages for years due to crumbling infrastructure.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of crumbling
Verb
  • Farage did not give a victory speech after declining to attend the declaration, claiming police had warned of a campaign to disrupt it.
    — Reagan Yip, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Is the town’s population growing or declining, and by how much?
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of declining

Browse Nearby Words

retrogrades
retrograding
retrogress
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Cite this Entry

“Retrograding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retrograding. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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