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
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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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of regresses
David Wilson, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
There’s no true aspect of his game that stands out, and without a true calling card that could come back to haunt him if his shooting regresses.
—Tom Rende, Forbes.com, 15 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
Verb
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
There’s no true aspect of his game that stands out, and without a true calling card that could come back to haunt him if his shooting regresses.
—Tom Rende, Forbes.com, 15 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
Verb
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How about 162 games — with just two left before the win-loss column reverts back to 0-0 for the playoffs.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
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But Indiana's growth is projected to slow significantly in the coming decades as natural increase — births outnumbering deaths — gradually reverts into natural decrease.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Despite his professional success, his home life deteriorates, particularly his relationship with his daughter.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
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And as our credit deteriorates, borrowing gets more expensive, forcing us to borrow more to keep up, which worsens our credit further.—
Bill Conway,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The new drug will not reverse regressions that have already occurred.—
Elizabeth Chuck,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
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Volpe earned just $879,000 this season, so that increase would mark a raise of more than 400% despite his regressions on offense and defense.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At the end of episode six, Dean Riggs returns just as Dylan is settling into her interim position.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Apr. 2026
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In one scene, the kids are bouncing in the back yard on a trampoline when Jeremy returns home with a policeman, under arrest.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With the push of a button, the elevator descends hundreds of meters in seconds into the dark depths of Onkalo.—
James Brooks,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
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The height comes from a stance atop 20-inch wheels, and the vehicle’s sloping hood descends low, like a brooding brow.—
John Scott Lewinski,
Robb Report,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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According to By the Sea’s website, the company owns seven Panama City Beach beachfront hotels, two group retreats and two beachfront restaurants.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
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This part of the Indian Himalayas is especially important for pilgrims seeking spiritual retreats, most famously at the Kainchi Dham ashram, where Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg spent time.—
Elizabeth Cantrell,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Strong cleaners can leave residue that actually worsens allergy symptoms.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Apr. 2026
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The funding is aimed at supporting a three-pronged plan put forward by a South End, Roxbury, and Newmarket community working group in February that focuses on getting addicts off the streets, out of jail, and into recovery to avoid the chaos and crowding that worsens there each summer.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some readers may be old enough to remember the 1976 Bicentennial, which occurred during one of the city’s lowest ebbs and lifted everyone’s spirits.—
John Calvelli,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2026
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Skeptics will wonder about the timing of the new release, which the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced as public attention in politics ebbs and the holiday season hits its peak.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
23 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Regresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regresses. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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