recede implies a gradual withdrawing from a forward or high fixed point in time or space.
the flood waters gradually receded
retreat implies withdrawal from a point or position reached.
retreating soldiers
retract implies drawing back from an extended position.
a cat retracting its claws
back is used with up, down, out, or off to refer to any retrograde motion.
backed off on the throttle
Examples of recede in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The plotline involving Knuck has receded into the background but is not really missed, because the show’s core relationship is now more clearly the one between Ali and Jersey.—Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2024 Crime in Oakland, meanwhile, has receded through April per year-to-date statistics provided by OPD.—Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024 But by the end of January, the lake had receded, its surface falling below the state’s water elevation sensors.—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024 The professors showed a series of time-lapse satellite images of a receding and flooded shoreline.—Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2024 This product is designed to help with hair thinning, receding hairline, and bald spots.—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 9 Apr. 2024 But with risks now receding, some employers are aggressively trying to get those workers back onto the road and into their cubicles.—Tom Saler, Journal Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2024 Two: buyer beware, especially when a key trait recedes.—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 Even though nine players from the Tennessee A&I championship teams went on to play professional basketball, their accomplishments quickly receded in the Jim Crow South.—Sopan Deb, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Verb
Lush vegetation has grown up in the decades since Muir glacier melted and receded.—Lesley Evans Ogden, Discover Magazine, 7 Apr. 2023 Majed al-Sorour, a LIV board member, was seen as central to LIV’s operations before his profile receded recently for reasons that have not been made public.—Guilbert Gates, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2023 For example, when a glacier first recedes there is no soil, explains Ficetola.—Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2023 Although the broader banking industry panic has receded, the fallout will continue, Dimon said in his missive to JPMorgan shareholders.—Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2023 The coastline is receding as much as 18 feet a year at the mouth of the Paraíba do Sul river in Atafona, home to 7,000 people, satellite images show.—Samantha Pearson, WSJ, 1 Apr. 2023 Coroner's investigators are still trying to identify other remains found last year while the lake recedes because of drought, county spokeswoman Stacey Welling said.—Ken Ritter, The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2023 Coroner's investigators are still trying to identify other remains found last year while the lake recedes because of the drought, county spokeswoman Stacey Welling said.—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2023 The Bluetooth connectivity and customizable features on the Oral-B app make this toothbrush a strong choice for people with receding gums or who are prone to over-brushing.—Samson McDougall, Health, 29 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recede.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb (1)
Middle English, from Latin recedere to go back, from re- + cedere to go
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