1
: the act or an instance of backsliding, worsening, or subsiding
2
: a recurrence of symptoms of a disease after a period of improvement
relapsed; relapsing
1
: to slip or fall back into a former worse state
relapser
noun
Examples of relapse in a Sentence
Noun
Everyone thought she was well until a sudden relapse sent her back to the hospital.
a drug addict who has had a relapse
a drug addict who has a history of relapse
Verb
If you don't continue your treatment, you could relapse.
Malaria can relapse years after the original infection.
The country soon relapsed into chaos.
She stayed out of trouble for a long time, but then she relapsed into her old ways.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
After crunching the data, the researchers found that the most effective way of going off antidepressants and preventing a relapse in depression was doing slow tapering (again, over more than four weeks), combined with therapy sessions.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 12 Dec. 2025
Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025
In a 2018 episode, Nick detailed a nightmarish experience relapsing into heroin use.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for relapse
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Noun
Across the squad, only 10 players have not missed a match due to an injury sustained this season (Jude Bellingham and Endrick have both been absent in games due to existing problems/relapses during recovery from these issues).
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
After crunching the data, the researchers found that the most effective way of going off antidepressants and preventing a relapse in depression was doing slow tapering (again, over more than four weeks), combined with therapy sessions.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 12 Dec. 2025
Verb
The comedian went in and out of rehab more than a dozen times throughout his life, and was sober for three years before relapsing again in 1995.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025
In a 2018 episode, Nick detailed a nightmarish experience relapsing into heroin use.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for relapse
Cite this Entry
“Relapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relapse. Accessed 24 Dec. 2025.
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Medical Definition
: a recurrence of illness
especially
: a recurrence of symptoms of a disease after a period of improvement
a relapse after an 18-month remission —M. T. Fosburg et al.
compare recrudescence
M. T. Fosburg et al. relapse
2 of 2 intransitive verb
re·lapse
ri-ˈlaps 
relapsed; relapsing
: to slip or fall back into a former worse state (as of illness) after a change for the better
the patient relapsed twice in four years
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