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
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
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
Verb
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regressing
Verb
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Finally, for unknown reasons, hydrangeas of any color may suddenly bloom in green for a year or two before reverting back to their original color.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
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That also means that either reverting BIOS settings or performing an OS reset is possible.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The poll also points to broader economic malaise; 55% of Americans say recent price increases have led to financial hardship, and the same number say their financial situation is deteriorating.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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In all cases, companies are reporting a surge in oil trading activity, tempered somewhat by the deteriorating outlook for natural gas production, stemming from Iranian air strikes severely damaging crucial gas production sites in the Gulf.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ahead of the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting Saturday, the mood in the air was cautiously optimistic as new and returning investors weighed the company’s direction under a new chief executive.—
Yun Li,Alex Harring,Sarah Min,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
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Holland seemed hopeful that Laughton, who expressed interest in returning, would come back to extend the value of his acquisition for what ultimately became a second-round draft pick.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Many Americans feel financially squeezed — over half say their finances are worsening, according to a recent Gallup poll, the highest since 2001.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
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However, many of his former clients later sued him on allegations of fraud and several of them have criticized him for allegedly worsening the boxing climate.—
PEOPLE,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 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 lawsuit, filed by the 300 Biscayne Boulevard Way Condominium Association, claims building residents have observed concrete balconies crumbling and the building's seawall corroding, issues that lawyers estimate will cost millions of dollars to repair.—
Larry Seward,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
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Under the proposal, Berlin would increase its budget by one fifth in 2027 compared to this year, requiring it to borrow upwards of $200 billion to revive its military industry and modernize crumbling infrastructure.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Reports in 2024 and 2025 indicated declining health, including low blood pressure, dizziness and heart problems, but these claims could not be independently verified.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
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Now these countries, like much of the world, are facing declining birth rates that threaten to upend their economies.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Only weeks remain before hundreds of thousands of soccer fans are expected to start descending on Kansas City for the first game, on June 16, of the month-long 2026 FIFA World Cup competition.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
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This season has been an adventure, with thousands descending on Seville and Porto in particular, transforming those cities into a sea of red for a few glorious days.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Regressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regressing. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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