as in withdrawn
not comfortable around people
one retiring young girl was sitting alone quietly in a corner during the party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in settling
to go to one's bed in order to sleep
I'm exhausted, so I think I'll retire for the evening
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sacking
to let go from office, service, or employment
as a part of its restructuring, the company has begun to retire its older employees
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in withdrawing
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)
the insurgents have retired to the outskirts of the city, but appear to be readying themselves for another offensive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of retiring
Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2023
Austen’s most retiring and internal heroine, spends much of the movie chatting to the camera, even giving sarcastic glances and eye rolls in the middle of the action.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 July 2022
So a more retiring co-parent certainly can be, say, the homework explainer and behind-the-scenes calendar keeper while the more outgoing parent takes meetings and makes phone calls – absolutely.
—Carolyn Hax, Detroit Free Press, 15 May 2018
In part, that's because Hemsley is probably the most retiring, publicity-adverse CEO heading an iconic company.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2017
Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 4 Oct. 2024
The winner will replace George McKenna, who is retiring after a long career as an educator and as a school board member since 2014.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024
This situation is reminiscent of the major shift to cloud technologies when even large companies moved their legacy monolithic applications to new infrastructures without conducting thorough platform analysis, code audits or retiring outdated technologies before adopting the innovation.
—Oleg Lola, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
Hill, 60, spent 32 years at the brand before retiring in 2020 as president of consumer and marketplace, leading all commercial and marketing operations for the Nike and Jordan brands.
—Evan Clark, WWD, 3 Oct. 2024
The same is true of other economic institutions that need to continue to replace retiring workers with those of the next generations.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
Hale recurred on the ABC soap, appearing in more than 200 episodes, and also reprised the role on spinoff Port Charles before retiring from acting in 2010.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 2 Oct. 2024
Then Mike Walsh of San Pedro won five City titles and 227 games until retiring in 2016.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2024
Smith served as the city’s Mayor from 2008 to 2014 and later served as Valley Metro’s CEO before retiring in 2022.
—Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 2 Oct. 2024
Adjective
After running more than 400 games, the researchers concluded that a fully passive style of scavenging – snatching some carrion when no one is looking – was too retiring and less than ideal.
—Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2023
Austen’s most retiring and internal heroine, spends much of the movie chatting to the camera, even giving sarcastic glances and eye rolls in the middle of the action.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 July 2022
So a more retiring co-parent certainly can be, say, the homework explainer and behind-the-scenes calendar keeper while the more outgoing parent takes meetings and makes phone calls – absolutely.
—Carolyn Hax, Detroit Free Press, 15 May 2018
In part, that's because Hemsley is probably the most retiring, publicity-adverse CEO heading an iconic company.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2017
Verb
Since retiring, he's launched the All The Smoke podcast.
—Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 4 Oct. 2024
The winner will replace George McKenna, who is retiring after a long career as an educator and as a school board member since 2014.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024
This situation is reminiscent of the major shift to cloud technologies when even large companies moved their legacy monolithic applications to new infrastructures without conducting thorough platform analysis, code audits or retiring outdated technologies before adopting the innovation.
—Oleg Lola, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
Hill, 60, spent 32 years at the brand before retiring in 2020 as president of consumer and marketplace, leading all commercial and marketing operations for the Nike and Jordan brands.
—Evan Clark, WWD, 3 Oct. 2024
The same is true of other economic institutions that need to continue to replace retiring workers with those of the next generations.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
Hale recurred on the ABC soap, appearing in more than 200 episodes, and also reprised the role on spinoff Port Charles before retiring from acting in 2010.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 2 Oct. 2024
Then Mike Walsh of San Pedro won five City titles and 227 games until retiring in 2016.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2024
Smith served as the city’s Mayor from 2008 to 2014 and later served as Valley Metro’s CEO before retiring in 2022.
—Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 2 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retiring
Adjective
-
When Marnie Was There A subtle, rewarding story about adolescence and identity based on a 1967 novel of the same name by British author Joan G. Robinson, When Marnie Was There follows Anna, a shy and withdrawn girl who struggles to connect to anyone.Matt Kamen, WIRED, 7 Sep. 2023
-
Mara, though initially more withdrawn, eventually gives in to his charms, even though Matt isn’t exactly a typical leading man.Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2024
Verb
-
Beyond the ease of settling in, Henry points to the country’s excellent healthcare system, extensive public transportation system, and affordability as reasons for why Thailand is a great option for Americans.Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2024
-
Instead, most are settling into a hybrid model that allows for a mix of office and remote work.John Kell, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
The Rebels forced Ralston Valley to punt the ball after sacking Andrews on third-and-7.David Mullen, The Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2024
-
Early in the third quarter, Hutchinson injured himself after sacking Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.Jacob Lev, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
The footage captured a figure in a ski mask hiding in the shadows as an unsuspecting woman arrives at the bank and goes about withdrawing money from the ATM.Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 4 Oct. 2024
-
Republicans countered that move by withdrawing their agreement to have the meeting.Annabella Rosciglione, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 3 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
The homes in the supertall are available in full-floor and duplex configurations, measuring just shy of 4,000 square feet to over 7,000 square feet.Jessica Cherner, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2024
-
The New York Mets were two wins shy of reaching the 2024 World Series largely because of how well their starting rotation performed down the stretch.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Despite Springfield’s mayor dismissing these claims, the damage was done.Aisha M. Beliso-De Jesús / Made by History, TIME, 4 Oct. 2024
-
Rather than dismissing the case outright, however, the court transferred the suit for the remaining states to a federal court in Missouri, given Missouri’s reliance on MOHELA in arguing that it would be harmed by the new student loan forgiveness program.Adam S. Minsky, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
If using a fountain pen or retreating to a mountain house can make the cognitive load of producing text even somewhat more bearable, writers will consider it.Cal Newport, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2024
-
If Tehran opts not to retaliate, though, Iran will look weak and appear to be retreating from Israel.Dan De Luce, NBC News, 30 Sep. 2024
Verb
-
The best scalp scrubs help deep-clean your scalp by removing dead skin cells, excess oil, and product buildup.Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 3 Oct. 2024
-
In 1913, after Lane had been removing his patients’ colons for five years, a panel of the Royal Society of Medicine was finally convened to interrogate the wisdom of resorting to surgery to combat chronic constipation.Elsa Richardson, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near retiring
Cite this Entry
“Retiring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retiring. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share