regresses 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of regress
1
as in reverts
to go back to a previous and usually lower state or level in extreme circumstances, people sometimes regress to the behavior they exhibited in childhood

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deteriorates
to become worse or of less value the annual celebration has regressed to the point where it's nothing more than an excuse to get drunk

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

regresses

2 of 2

noun

plural of regress
as in regressions

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example 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 regresses
Verb
The immortal being who’d called himself a god just moments prior regresses into his stuttering, childhood self. — Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026 Anagen is followed by a brief transitional phase called catagen, during which the follicle regresses and severs its connection to its blood supply. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Whether the Commanders can catch the Eagles already likely depends on whether Daniels builds on his rookie season or hits a sophomore slump and regresses after Washington was the best fourth-down team in history last season. — David Wilson, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025 So perhaps the off-ramp is some disaster that regresses on social, technological, or political progress, knocking backward humanity’s millennia-long history of struggle and growth. — Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regresses
  1. reverts
  2. deteriorates
  3. regressions
  4. returns
  5. descends
  6. retreats
  7. worsens
  8. ebbs
Verb
  • As light can selectively target the fluid, scientists were able to print microscopic conductive patterns that completely vanish once exposed to open air, which reverts the gel back into non-conductive liquid clusters.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 June 2026
  • There are still times Stokes reverts back to his worst tendencies on the basketball court.
    — Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Definition of reverts
Verb
  • In Gosha’s case, that involves getting mixed up with gangsters at a seedy nightclub, a sequence that quickly deteriorates from being mildly comical to sinister to outright terrifying by even degrees.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
  • Teams remain busy while the quality of decisions quietly deteriorates.
    — Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of deteriorates
Noun
  • Are there regressions--things which used to work but now are broken?
    — Brad Templeton, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • That desire has fueled the growth of the group's WhatsApp chat, where more than 100 fathers swap advice on everything from sleep regressions and picky eaters to potty training and weekend activities.
    — Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 20 June 2026
Definition of regressions
Verb
  • The film follows Ale, who sees her partner die in a fall from a treehouse above the Zeanuri forest, then returns a year later to prove foul play – but her hunt for the truth leaves her the one being hunted.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 July 2026
  • Services offered Truly Nolen’s core service is their 4 Seasons Pest Control program, which treats your home and then returns the following month to start quarterly visits for year-round prevention.
    — Jay Sparks, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Definition of returns
Verb
  • Just as a group of carefree New York City twentysomethings (including Mike Vogel and Lizzy Caplan) gathers to celebrate one of their friend’s impending move westward, a creature the size of the Empire State Building descends on the city.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • Finally comes the terminal phase, when the warhead re-enters the atmosphere and descends toward its target.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026
Definition of descends
Noun
  • The Oaktree Capital Management cofounder and his wife, Nancy, have owned La Posada and Sa Punta for more than a decade, using the adjoining properties as holiday retreats.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 15 July 2026
  • Decades later, Regent Phu Quoc is the product of an ambitious brand revival and has already raised the bar in a country that isn’t exactly short of dreamy beach retreats.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2026
Definition of retreats
Verb
  • The surplus of short-term rentals worsens the shortage of affordable housing.
    — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
  • The loss of immigrant workers worsens the staffing crisis and increases the workload on existing employees.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 July 2026
Definition of worsens
Noun
  • Years of going through the ebbs and flows of playoff games had the Knicks ready.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 16 June 2026
  • Construction ebbs and flows with cyclical interest rates.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
Definition of ebbs

Browse Nearby Words

regressed
regresses
regressing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Regresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regresses. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on regresses

Nglish: Translation of regresses for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of raffish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All