as in relaxing
to get rid of nervous tension or anxiety
after she gets home from work, she needs some time to decompress before preparing dinner
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Recent Examples of decompressing
The shorter the line, the less likely there will be a melt down (and melt downs mean having to spend precious time decompressing someplace quiet, or possibly having to end the entire excursion early and going back to the hotel).
—
Priscilla Blossom, Parents, 2 Jan. 2026
Spend today decompressing from last night’s festivities.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026
On November 21, Crave released a two-minute preview of the show, featuring a scene between Ilya and Shane decompressing in a weight room.
—James Factora, Them., 21 Nov. 2025
Each affords particular outlets for decompressing and harvesting the stressors of high-capacity jobs.
—Essence, 7 Nov. 2025
Kaprizov spent much of his summer in Russia hiking with friends, miles from cell service, decompressing from a trying season that went from being an early Hart Trophy candidate to missing 41 games with a lower body injury.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 10 Sep. 2025
This decompressing period changed the ecosystem a lot of what’s going on [inside me].
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
The most important thing as a woman is decompressing after the show — washing off all my makeup and doing my skincare [routine].
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 14 Aug. 2025
Armstrong quit her job in January 2025 and spent a month decompressing before jetting off to Thailand and Vietnam in February.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decompressing
relaxing
Verb
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Style your living room with new throw pillow covers and blankets, design a relaxing bedroom with natural cotton sheets, set the table with stoneware plates, or make your kitchen even more functional with premium baking dishes and wooden utensils.—
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That must include a lounge set that’s comfy enough for relaxing on the couch but has a polished design that looks put-together when worn out of the house.—
Cite this Entry
“Decompressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decompressing. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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