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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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
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The Tuesday announcement also reverts the organization of the office to focus on external IT coordination, instead of also overseeing Health and Human Services’ internal use of technology.—
Brittany Trang,
STAT,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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When hospitals operate under extreme and unpredictable demand spikes, patient safety deteriorates.—
Eugene Litvak,
STAT,
27 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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Out of the South Shore League, East Bridgewater returns all of its starters from its run to the Round of 16 last year.—
Brian Roach,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Frankie Muniz returns as Malcolm.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Holy Week begins with a triumphal procession, descends into betrayal and death, and ends with resurrection.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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Ribbon Fall, which descends 1,612 feet and marks Yosemite’s single largest drop, is a slender plunge and could be gone by June, Goehring says.—
Kurtis Alexander,
San Francisco Chronicle,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some Singaporean businesses run offshore manufacturing operations in Batam, while others send staff to the island for meetings or corporate retreats, Tan said.—
Sydney Goh,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
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That total wasn’t built on epic reading binges or monastic retreats.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Distress could spread to countries beyond the Gulf if dire conditions prompt residents to flee across borders and infrastructure damage worsens a global oil shock, analysts said.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 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 8 Apr. 2026.
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