as in relaxation
freedom from activity or labor
the waitstaff gets a welcome period of decompression between the lunch and dinner rushes
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Recent Examples of decompression
Whether for sleep, study or decompression after a long day, millions of viewers are finding that the gentle patter of rain on a tent is enough.
—
Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
The Philadelphia Phillies again should be quite good, particularly if ace right-hander Zack Wheeler makes a strong return from thoracic outlet decompression surgery.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The introduction of Zstd to DirectStorage's multi-tier decompression framework lets developers leverage the CPU or GPU for decompression.
—Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
The mattress instructions indicated a 24 to 72 hour decompression period for the memory foam to assume its correct shape.
—Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 27 Feb. 2026
Was the decompression time after work different for this type of project?
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 24 Feb. 2026
An ambient lounge and mingling decompression follows the show.
—Anne Schrager, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Feb. 2026
But the prospect of going without a staple of his decompression routine was a step too far.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026
One area of uncertainty is how much hydrogen in the iron samples escaped during decompression; this loss has been documented in other studies but was not included in the new calculations.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
The Philadelphia Phillies again should be quite good, particularly if ace right-hander Zack Wheeler makes a strong return from thoracic outlet decompression surgery.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The introduction of Zstd to DirectStorage's multi-tier decompression framework lets developers leverage the CPU or GPU for decompression.
—Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
The mattress instructions indicated a 24 to 72 hour decompression period for the memory foam to assume its correct shape.
—Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 27 Feb. 2026
Was the decompression time after work different for this type of project?
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 24 Feb. 2026
An ambient lounge and mingling decompression follows the show.
—Anne Schrager, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Feb. 2026
But the prospect of going without a staple of his decompression routine was a step too far.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026
One area of uncertainty is how much hydrogen in the iron samples escaped during decompression; this loss has been documented in other studies but was not included in the new calculations.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decompression
Noun
-
May 21 – June 20 This morning invites silent relaxation before words rush in.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The spa The serene, partially subterranean spa has seven treatment rooms, hammams, saunas, and a spacious relaxation area.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For rest and relaxation, there’s a fitness and aquatic suite that includes an indoor pool, a hot tub, and both sauna and steam rooms.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Because the body is preparing for rest, your metabolism and digestion slow down, too.—
Desireé Oostland,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decompression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decompression. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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