recede
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to go or move away; retreat; go to or toward a more distant point; withdraw.
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to become more distant.
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(of a color, form, etc., on a flat surface) to move away or be perceived as moving away from an observer, especially as giving the illusion of space.
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to slope backward.
a chin that recedes.
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to draw back or withdraw from a conclusion, viewpoint, undertaking, promise, etc.
verb (used with object)
verb
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to withdraw from a point or limit; go back
the tide receded
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to become more distant
hopes of rescue receded
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to slope backwards
apes have receding foreheads
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(of a man's hair) to cease to grow at the temples and above the forehead
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(of a man) to start to go bald in this way
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to decline in value or character
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(usually foll by from) to draw back or retreat, as from a promise
Etymology
Origin of recede1
First recorded in 1470–80; from Latin recēdere “to go back, fall back”; equivalent to re- + cede
Origin of recede2
Explanation
Recede means to pull back, retreat, or become faint or distant. Flood waters recede, as do glaciers, and even abstractions like "panic" and "hope." Think "receding hairline." (That means bald.) Cede means "to yield." Politicians, after losing an election will "cede the field" or "concede the race." Recede means to yield back. Over time, this word has taken on the sense of fading or growing faint, as in "The ghostly vision of a woman receded into the fog."
Vocabulary lists containing recede
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
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Hatchet
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List 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In an expanding universe, more distant galaxies generally recede more quickly because a greater amount of space lies between them and us.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026
A surge in U.S. inflation to a three-year high has begun to recede, but life isn’t going to get more affordable for Americans anytime soon.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
He changed it by creating a textured surface with color variations and what might be viewed as imperfections, and by layering three flags, in diminishing sizes, atop one another, that advance—or recede.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
Japan could also be a beneficiary if oil prices recede.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
The unsold statues recede back into the darkness of the garage, pudgy arms held out in supplication.
From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson
He also told the BBC that many people had already fled into the hills because the sea had also receded.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
While the cliff at the back of the hall has "barely receded", Brown said it was important to act before it was too late.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
While the water had receded now, they said, there was still over a metre of standing water in low-lying places like underpasses.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
While immigration sweeps have receded from the headlines, Garcia Venegas’ most recent incident highlights how the mistaken detention of Americans has continued despite congressional inquiries and denials by senior immigration officials.
From Salon ● May 24, 2026
When the rivers receded, they exposed a wide strip of bottomland.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
While heavy rain continued to fall early Monday evening, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon told a news conference that floodwaters were receding.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
I chose two: one ridged and heavy, its skin receding from burgundy into a deep, almost plum color; the other a cheerful red beefsteak.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
Now he is left to clear up the mess and build bridges, amid claims support for his re-election as Fifa president in March is receding.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Deep green hills covered in dense trees rise in the background, receding into the far distance — representing the many ways that wild land seems to thrive in this vast urban space.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
His receding hairline made him look older than he was.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
