regressing 1 of 2

adjective

as in retrogressing

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regressing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of regress
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

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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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of regressing
Verb
On the other side, the Los Angeles Chargers (0-4) look like they’re headed to a lost season and quarterback Justin Herbert is regressing. — Jeff Howe, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 The cumulative effect of regressing academically every summer means kids are starting off every school year in a deficit, as previously mentioned. — Sherri Gordon, Parents, 7 July 2026 But as Saturday’s play showed, things have a way of evening out, regressing to the mean. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2026 While the Colombia of 2026 is nowhere near as deadly as the Colombia of the 1990s, when the FARC was ruling over swaths of the country, the South American nation is nevertheless regressing in terms of security. — Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026 This shifts hair follicles from regressing into active growth. — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 28 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regressing
  1. stopped
  2. reverting
  3. deteriorating
  4. returning
  5. worsening
  6. crumbling
  7. declining
  8. descending
Adjective
  • The girl with a backpack on could be seen crossing the street while looking at her phone before the stopped truck began moving beside her, in videos obtained by ABC station WPVI and CBS station KYW.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The crash drew a crowd from the stopped traffic, who quickly spread photos and videos of the driver on social media.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of stopped
Verb
  • The notorious property has since undergone a name change, reverting back to its original moniker of Sycamore Valley Ranch.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The exact process for reverting adult cells back to an early embryonic stage, however, wasn’t clear.
    — Venki Ramakrishnan, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of reverting
Verb
  • The sketch took aim at reports of deteriorating conditions aboard the aircraft carrier, including plumbing issues and mental-health struggles among the crew during their extended deployment.
    — Anna Tingley, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Massillon’s courage Throughout the attacks, Massillon was the first official to alert journalists, describing the deteriorating security situation while also appealing for help.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of deteriorating
Verb
  • According to Hiatt, both pilots include returning champions competing against challengers and a progressive jackpot.
    — Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • There is much more to come in this two-hour-plus adaptation including a battle royale that will see Prue returning for a massive fight to the finish, still hoping to navigate a happy ending.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of returning
Verb
  • The victim went to the campus health clinic in August with worsening finger tingling and numbness, and leg weakness.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Stocks dropped to their worst day since July on Wednesday after the latest signal that inflation is worsening.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of worsening
Verb
  • By Saturday night, Long Beach reported that seawater had entered homes and into streets, with the city’s Peninsula neighborhood being hard hit, and its boardwalk crumbling.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The hotel’s journey from crumbling Presbyterian church to Silver Lake hotspot is more interesting, a soap opera that involves government red tape, some nuns and Katy Perry.
    — Mickey Rapkin, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of crumbling
Verb
  • Women naturally store less creatine than men, and during perimenopause and menopause, declining estrogen can take a toll on both muscle health and mental clarity.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The result has been sturdy economic growth, even as lower-income and even middle-income households have continued to struggle under stubborn inflation and declining earnings.
    — Rob Wile, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of declining
Verb
  • The winds develop when air moves from the Great Basin west toward the California coast, descending mountain slopes and becoming warmer and drier.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The drive winds through the verdant mountains of eastern Antioquia before descending into the Aburrá Valley, where Medellín stretches across the valley floor and surrounding hillsides.
    — Nikkita Nair, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of descending

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Cite this Entry

“Regressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regressing. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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