as in deceleration
a usually gradual decrease in the pace or level of activity of something
scientists discovered that they could achieve the retardation of light if they shined it through a variety of substances
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of retardation
The Everrati's left pedal operates pads on discs in the normal fashion, but the motors also give powerful regenerative retardation when the accelerator is lifted.
—
Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 18 June 2021
The policy of retardation of submarine technology ended right after the beginning of the Anglo-German naval race (marked by the German Naval Laws of 1898 and 1900).
—chicagotribune.com, 28 July 2017
At the end Austen had psychomotor retardation and could barely move.
—Rene Chun, Los Angeles Magazine, 19 June 2017
The criteria were: episodes that last no longer than 2 months, and that do not include suicidal feelings, psychotic symptoms, psychomotor retardation, or feelings of worthlessness.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 15 Mar. 2013
Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 18 June 2021
The policy of retardation of submarine technology ended right after the beginning of the Anglo-German naval race (marked by the German Naval Laws of 1898 and 1900).
—chicagotribune.com, 28 July 2017
At the end Austen had psychomotor retardation and could barely move.
—Rene Chun, Los Angeles Magazine, 19 June 2017
The criteria were: episodes that last no longer than 2 months, and that do not include suicidal feelings, psychotic symptoms, psychomotor retardation, or feelings of worthlessness.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 15 Mar. 2013
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retardation
Noun
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Although the regionalization had led to a deceleration in the growth of shipping costs throughout 2024 as the Everything Store aggressively embarked on its cost-cutting crusade, these expenses kicked back up into high gear throughout the 2025 fiscal year.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Feb. 2026
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Owners reported sudden deceleration, downshifting, and temporary rear wheel lockups in 2015-2017 models.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Axios ran these numbers, and calculated the decline in wages as a share of gross domestic income adding up to $12,000; as in, that’s how much less per year the average American is bringing home as a result of this dynamic.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Pacific Islander students and American Indian students were the only two student groups out of 11 total who saw a decline in this metric in the same period.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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More industries are retooling around AI after experiencing slowdowns in their core businesses.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Advertisement Digestive slowdown and constipation Water is essential for moving things through your gastrointestinal system.—
Katharine Gammon,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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As vehicles become increasingly software-defined and electrified, EMB systems are emerging as a cornerstone of next-generation braking, widely viewed by engineers as one of the most advanced and complete solutions for how cars should stop.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Feb. 2026
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Some vehicles—particularly Hondas, and most notably the hot-selling CR-V—stash the distance sensors responsible for features like automatic emergency braking and radar cruise control behind the badge up front.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But gold prices have been extraordinary volatile, smashing through record highs before posting their biggest single-day drop on record last month.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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Sharp drops hit Wall Street on Thursday as technology stocks fell and bitcoin plunged again to roughly half its record price set last fall.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Saks Global filed for bankruptcy in January amid a broader luxury market slump and under high debt loads from buying its luxury rival, Neiman Marcus.—
Auzinea Bacon,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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Several software stocks, such as ServiceNow , Salesforce and Workday showed up, all of them hard hit last week amid the slump in the group owing to concerns that artificial intelligence will erode their business.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retardation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retardation. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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