retarding

verb

present participle of retard
as in slowing
to cause to move or proceed at a less rapid pace an herbicide to retard the growth of weeds

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retarding
  1. slowing
  2. braking
Verb
  • Issei Kato | Reuters Japanese companies are leaving China in record numbers, as a slowing Chinese economy and a diplomatic freeze force businesses to reassess their presence in the world’s second-largest economy.
    — Anniek Bao,Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The trial began in July and is one of several studies launched to find some protection and another way of at least slowing the outbreak.
    — CONSTANT SAME BAGALWA, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of slowing
Verb
  • Smoother downshifts while braking matter more, but trying to step up a gear at full throttle anywhere near redline seemed to challenge the clutch-free system.
    — Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2026
  • This section ends with another heavy braking zone at Turn 17, where speeds are expected to drop from 175mph to around 60mph.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of braking
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.

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retarded
retarding
retards
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Cite this Entry

“Retarding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retarding. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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