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
Jeff Howe, New York Times, 26 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
Of that group, Paul, Gordon and Washington have been very good, and Phillips showed promise the first two weeks before regressing against Buffalo.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
When Wilson was regressing into drugs and obesity, Landy was rehired six years later, the outlet shared.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Verb
Vrabel, who played in four Super Bowls for the Patriots as a linebacker, overhauled a group that was regressing in coach Bill Belichick's final year and worsened in Jerod Mayo's lone season.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 26 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
Of that group, Paul, Gordon and Washington have been very good, and Phillips showed promise the first two weeks before regressing against Buffalo.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
When Wilson was regressing into drugs and obesity, Landy was rehired six years later, the outlet shared.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regressing
Verb
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That’s a step in the right direction for a generation that is reverting back to a desire to meet in real life.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
20 Jan. 2026
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Indevin and Vinarchy will use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers in their vineyards, with the former rolling back organic practices at about 250 of its 320 acres, while the latter is reverting 200 of its 370 acres to conventional farming practices.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Cruz was responding to another post from Tehran Bureau, which cited a source inside Iran detailing what was described as a rapidly deteriorating situation on the ground as security forces continued to crack down on demonstrations.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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The Plough’s garden furniture is deteriorating, and an antique sign visible in the Cameron-Xi event is absent.—
Brendan Murray,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There are also a number of fascinating candidates who might need a couple of tries, along with returning fixtures who have been gaining momentum and could at some point hit the 75% threshold needed for election.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
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Bates said his office is working with state leaders on programs aimed at repeat offenders returning from prison but acknowledged that prosecutors alone cannot address recidivism.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Brin has committed $20 million to a new organization called Building a Better California, a political and policy effort aimed squarely at California’s worsening housing affordability problems, recent state disclosures show, as first reported by The New York Times.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
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The mills, for their part, cited crippling financial losses that were compounded by high borrowing costs and a worsening fuel deficit.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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One clip appears to show a Waymo vehicle stopped while other vehicles illegally pass a stopped bus.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Jan. 2026
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That's when a 51-year-old woman driving a Tesla south on Highway 85 struck the Focus, causing both cars to spin and crash into a stopped semi-truck.—
Austen Erblat,
CBS News,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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And behind every man with a good name and a crumbling pile, there’s a wife shrewdly attending to the seating plan.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
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Even with oil shipments from Venezuela, widespread blackouts have persisted across Cuba given fuel shortages and a crumbling electric grid.—
Dánica Coto,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The company‘s core broadband business continues declining as customers abandon cable for wireless 5G alternatives.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
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Arnaout believes the absence of Maher took a mental toll on Wael which led to his health declining.—
Nicquel Terry Ellis,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The staircase is the most structurally complex beach access point in Encinitas, and consists of multiple timber stair towers and concrete walkways descending the coastal bluff.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
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The models can be run at a far larger scale, with a custom layer that orchestrates hundreds of agents and keeps them from descending into chaos.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Regressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regressing. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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