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 when a group of three men interrupts their work to drag Fu Sheng off on suspicion of theft, Grainier reverts back to that child who watched Chinese families being rounded up.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Nov. 2025
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Alone and in pain, Carlson reverts back to a combat mindset and finds himself in a dark place.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Emily Demirdonder, director of operations and marketing at Proximity Plumbing, said the rubber backing deteriorates in hot water and breaks apart during the spin cycle, and those fragments can block drain pumps and drainage pipes—sometimes leading to flooding and machine failure.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
28 Jan. 2026
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Staying at home when weather deteriorates will allow essential personnel to travel more safely to work.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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Most leading teams keep an audit trail so regressions don’t slip through the cracks and improvements are visible to all stakeholders.—
Sebastian Crossa,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Time Lord returns Holiday wasn’t the only ex-Celtic facing his former team for the first time Monday night.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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Sumrall returns 39 scholarship players, added more than two dozen transfers and welcomed 17 early enrollees from the 20-player 2026 signing class.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As an Earth-orbiting spacecraft descends, temperatures of up to 3,500°F bloom across the heat shield at the bottom of the capsule.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
29 Jan. 2026
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Pittsburgh will have the 21st pick when a draft that appears to be thin in quality options at quarterback descends on the Steel City in late April.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Wellness travel now accounts for nearly 8 percent of global trips and is a $900 billion industry, with demand rising for retreats that prioritize rest and renewal.—
Madeline Weinfield,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
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Though archaeologists haven’t confirmed any of the theories, some have postulated a symbolic function, a site of initiation rituals, or spiritual retreats.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The mom-to-be’s condition rapidly worsens, with Addison convincing Amelia — again reluctantly — to restore her privileges and scrub in.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
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The organization urges residents to step forward and help restore the local blood supply before the impact worsens.—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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Game predictions Fowler, thanks to his preternatural understanding of this franchise’s flows and ebbs, somehow stayed perfect after the Panthers’ shutout win last week.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Regresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regresses. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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