SLOWING (DOWN OR UP) Synonyms: 89 Similar and Opposite Words

slowing (down or up)

verb

present participle of slow (down or up)

as in hanging (around or out)

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slowing (down or up)

Verb

Those comments now has Aubrey Tianello, senior analyst at BNP Paribas Equity Research, noting that investors might be expecting decelerating comp growth at both core Dick’s and Foot Locker doors.

— Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 24 Aug. 2026
Meanwhile the buyer's own depreciation charge keeps climbing on the equipment already purchased, compressing margins into a decelerating revenue base.

— Jason Kirsch, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of decelerating

Verb

This is cinéma du doomscrolling at its funniest and its doomiest, generating the sort of laughs usually experienced by those strolling toward the gallows.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
Beneath the balcony, this street, witness to and confidante of the entire twenty-three years of these young people’s lives, was languishing in the fragrant July night, densely thronged with strolling city dwellers even now.

— Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of strolling

Verb

As the deli’s surveillance video rolled, his client went from calmly standing at the counter with a bottle of Gatorade to staggering to the floor, clutching his leg and tearing at his pants.

— Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026
The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hands and small heads.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026

Definition of staggering

Verb

Zeus did not approve of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion.

— Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026

Definition of fooling around

Verb

That same day, she was photographed ambling down a picturesque street in a striking purple short set, casually holding an Aperol spritz.

— Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026
Bear #132’s cub managed to survive and was reunited with its family after several days ambling alone.

— Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of ambling

Verb

Ivey and his partner persuaded the Crockfords dealer to rotate the high-value cards 180 degrees before shuffling them back into the pack, citing some obscure superstition as justification.

— Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
At the end of all that immersiveness, exiting out onto the physical street to join the crowds of shuffling tourists and fend off sullen Elmos makes Times Square feel like the soul of authenticity.

— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of shuffling

Verb

The charter Girardeau sailed with was about four miles out and almost at the its trip when word of the hammerhead was radioed out — the crew decided to take a chance and sped up the coast 15 minutes to see the shark still sauntering in the sea.

— Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 24 Aug. 2026
Before sauntering down the stairwell to the dressing room, Stones stopped to sign autographs for fans in Inter’s pitchside hospitality suites.

— James Horncastle, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of sauntering

Verb

My first inkling that dramatic lips may be inching toward a comeback came courtesy Florence Pugh at the premiere of her new Netflix series, East of Eden.

— Kara Nesvig, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026
Woodland Hills reached 106, inching past the prior record of 105 set in 2025.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of inching

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.

Browse Nearby Words

slowing (down)

slowing (down or up)

slowish

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Slowing (down or up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slowing%20%28down%20or%20up%29. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of slowing (down or up)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

deportment

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes