1
as in reverting
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deteriorating
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 regressing
James Horncastle, New York Times, 12 May 2026
And when Varley returns to Portia after a stint with the manipulative and tempestuous Lady Penwood (Katie Leung), that’s not Bridgerton simply regressing to a status quo.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
Spoelstra’s latest challenge to Ware came in mid-January, calling him out for regressing after his strong November stretch.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Teachers at Sophia’s school told her parents that her reading skills were regressing, prompting them to order her glasses and schedule what seemed like routine tests.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
In the face of that reality—the death, functionally, of the American dream—millennials, Gen Zers and Gen Alphaers have started fantasizing about the abolition of money, of technology, of progress entirely, to the point of dreaming about regressing away from humanity itself.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025
Even before the Spurs became the fifth Denver opponent to make more than 15 threes this season, Adelman was already alert to the fact that his team’s defense was regressing.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2025
With this loss, Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes dropped to 3-9 on the season — significantly regressing compared to last year's 9-4 finish.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
Their debut album, Forever, sounds like temporarily regressing to your childhood self while tripping—a kind of gleaming innocence desperately fending off the darkness of adulthood lurking at the periphery.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
Rafa Leao and Christian Pulisic were unsustainably clinical in the first half of the season, before regressing to the mean in a side bereft of chance creation in the second half of the campaign.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 12 May 2026
And when Varley returns to Portia after a stint with the manipulative and tempestuous Lady Penwood (Katie Leung), that’s not Bridgerton simply regressing to a status quo.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
Spoelstra’s latest challenge to Ware came in mid-January, calling him out for regressing after his strong November stretch.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Teachers at Sophia’s school told her parents that her reading skills were regressing, prompting them to order her glasses and schedule what seemed like routine tests.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
In the face of that reality—the death, functionally, of the American dream—millennials, Gen Zers and Gen Alphaers have started fantasizing about the abolition of money, of technology, of progress entirely, to the point of dreaming about regressing away from humanity itself.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025
Even before the Spurs became the fifth Denver opponent to make more than 15 threes this season, Adelman was already alert to the fact that his team’s defense was regressing.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2025
With this loss, Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes dropped to 3-9 on the season — significantly regressing compared to last year's 9-4 finish.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
Their debut album, Forever, sounds like temporarily regressing to your childhood self while tripping—a kind of gleaming innocence desperately fending off the darkness of adulthood lurking at the periphery.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regressing
Verb
-
The state is reverting some districts to older lines that are more favorable to Republicans.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
20 May 2026
-
The ruling effectively overturned the city’s ordinance, reverting the election to November 2025.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The project, which began with foundation work in 2022 and expanded to roadway construction in 2023, includes replacing the deteriorating bridge deck, widening shoulders and adding carpool lanes in both directions.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
22 May 2026
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The technical setup is deteriorating, too, as fewer stocks participate in the rally and momentum stalls.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Last year, Hernández played in just one rehab game returning from a strained groin.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
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The test analyzes the activity of 50 genes in a tumor sample and generates a score that estimates the risk of the cancer returning.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
Verb
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The attack in al-Murrah, near contested Barah, underscores RSF’s tightening hold over resource-rich Darfur and Kordofan and the worsening humanitarian crisis engulfing civilians.—
Fatma Khaled,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
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New pipelines and fossil fuel plants generate millions of dollars for fossil fuel companies and utilities, while locking young people into decades more of pollution and worsening climate change.—
Sydney Collins,
Hartford Courant,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Three other vehicles with human drivers then appeared to illegally pass the stopped bus.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
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The truck crossed into the eastbound lane and crashed into the stopped Kia, striking the three pedestrians, CHP said.—
Aidin Vaziri,
San Francisco Chronicle,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The fireball expands out and covers the entire launch pad as the fuselage of the rocket can be seen crumbling into the flames.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026
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Our work behind the scenes keeps the whole edifice from crumbling—at least for now.—
Pablo Strauss,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Gasoline inventories continue to fall sharply, declining last week to the lowest May level since 2014.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
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Nor can conversation alone prepare students for a world shaped by AI, polarization and declining trust in institutions.—
Rajiv Vinnakota,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Most of the deaths along the pass have happened while climbers are descending.—
Becky Bohrer,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
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Today, rumors circulating on social media in the DRC include false claims that Ebola is not real, that humanitarian workers are descending on the area solely for their own profit and that aid groups are withholding the best care available.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Regressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regressing. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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