retardant
adjective
re·tar·dant
ri-ˈtär-dᵊnt 
: serving or tending to retard
a growth-retardant substance
retardant
noun
Examples of retardant in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With the assistance of Cal Fire planes dropping water and retardant, fire department officials reported halting the forward progress by 5:08 p.m.
—
Devan Patel, Mercury News, 24 May 2025
Authorities battling a series of large wildfires in the Los Angeles area have employed a bright red fire retardant to tamp the flames, leading to dramatic images of the material blanketing scores of homes, cars and residential streets.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025
At the Eaton fire, crews applied retardant around the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and cleared brush in high-risk areas in La Cañada, according to Cal Fire.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
The largest tankers — which can carry up to 9,400 gallons of fire retardant at a time, and have been used to fight the Southern California fires — drop from about 250 feet, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
—Yan Zhuang, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
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Devan Patel, Mercury News, 24 May 2025
Authorities battling a series of large wildfires in the Los Angeles area have employed a bright red fire retardant to tamp the flames, leading to dramatic images of the material blanketing scores of homes, cars and residential streets.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025
At the Eaton fire, crews applied retardant around the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and cleared brush in high-risk areas in La Cañada, according to Cal Fire.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
The largest tankers — which can carry up to 9,400 gallons of fire retardant at a time, and have been used to fight the Southern California fires — drop from about 250 feet, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
—Yan Zhuang, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for retardant
Cite this Entry
“Retardant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retardant. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
retardant
adjective
re·tar·dant
ri-ˈtärd-ᵊnt
: serving or tending to retard
flame-retardant fabrics
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