Synonyms

recede

¹ American

[ri-seed] / rɪˈsid /

verb (used without object)

receded, receding

to go or move away; retreat; go to or toward a more distant point; withdraw.
to become more distant.
(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.
to slope backward.

a chin that recedes.
to draw back or withdraw from a conclusion, viewpoint, undertaking, promise, etc.

Synonyms:

retreat, retire

recede ² American

[ree-seed] / riˈsid /

verb (used with object)

receded, receding

to cede back; yield or grant to a former possessor.

recede British

/ rɪˈsiːd /

verb

to withdraw from a point or limit; go back

the tide receded
to become more distant

hopes of rescue receded
to slope backwards

apes have receding foreheads
1. (of a man's hair) to cease to grow at the temples and above the forehead
2. (of a man) to start to go bald in this way
to decline in value or character
(usually foll by from) to draw back or retreat, as from a promise

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of recede¹

First recorded in 1470–80; from Latin recēdere “to go back, fall back”; equivalent to re- + cede

Origin of recede²

First recorded in 1765–75; re- + cede

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.

After the sun came up, "we watched the water recede little by little" before the fire department arrived, Mikey said.

From BBC

As floodwaters begin to recede on Oahu, residents are returning home to assess the damage and, in many cases, what’s been lost.

From Salon

One reason is that as tariffs and housing pressures recede, odds are that inflation will resume its decline.

From The Wall Street Journal

Gold’s retreat could be a sign that the fear trade may already be partly receding.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nowruz marks the point when the cold of winter begins to recede, giving way to the lively and hopeful arrival of spring.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023