Trivia Time

Which of these grows at about the same rate that the Moon recedes from Earth?

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recede

¹ American  

[ri-seed] / rɪˈsid /

verb (used without object)

receded, receding

1. 

   to go or move away; retreat; go to or toward a more distant point; withdraw.

2. to become more distant.

3. (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.

4. to slope backward.

   a chin that recedes.

5. to draw back or withdraw from a conclusion, viewpoint, undertaking, promise, etc.

   Synonyms:

   retreat, retire

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recede ² American  

[ree-seed] / riˈsid /

verb (used with object)

receded, receding

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

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recede British  

/ rɪˈsiːd /

verb

1. to withdraw from a point or limit; go back

   the tide receded

2. to become more distant

   hopes of rescue receded

3. to slope backwards

   apes have receding foreheads

4. 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

5. to decline in value or character

6. (usually foll by from) to draw back or retreat, as from a promise

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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

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

recede receded receding

A central bank need not raise rates in response to such shocks, confident that as they recede, inflation will ease on its own.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Economists and industry analysts say that even after oil starts flowing again from the Middle East, it could take a while for the Iran war’s effects on consumer prices to recede.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

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

As objects recede into the distance in the painting, they get closer and closer to the vanishing point, getting more compressed as they get farther away from the viewer.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

A week after the floodwaters receded, Angelenos started circulating petitions that would recall the corrupt Shaw from office.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

In recent weeks, many of those worries have receded.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

As the tide receded, Bucknall and his team hitched a heavy steel roller to the back of a quad bike to pack down the sand to produce a firm playing surface.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

But then the number fell from 2010 until 2022, as the Great Recession’s impact gradually receded.

From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026

Until the water receded completely, the only help they were likely to get would be by boat or by helicopter.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

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

After mid-August there are signs of high pressure receding for a time, allowing Atlantic low pressure and frontal systems closer to the UK.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

It’s true: I live surrounded by people who keep receding into the music of the past.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Astronomers can estimate how quickly a galaxy is receding by measuring its redshift.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026

Then they walked off down the trail together, still talking, and the hidden cat heard their voices receding in the distance.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford

Related Words

• abate
• decrease
• diminish
• dwindle
• ebb
• fade
• fall back
• lessen
• reduce
• retreat
• shrink
• sink
• subside
• taper
• wane