1
as in to revert
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 to deteriorate
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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as in regression
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of regress
Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
When you’re fated Photo: HBO Not to regress, but Rick and Chelsea are totes OTP.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
Miles Bryan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Guys who had a good year last year will regress; guys who struggled last year will pitch well.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for regress
Verb
Instead, Stratton has noticeably regressed as WWE Women’s Champion after a very entertaining run as Ms. Money in the Bank.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
When you’re fated Photo: HBO Not to regress, but Rick and Chelsea are totes OTP.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
And there’s a lot of people telling them to regress, to be expecting women to take their last names, and to stay at home and to make lots of babies and to not ask too many questions.
—Miles Bryan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Guys who had a good year last year will regress; guys who struggled last year will pitch well.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for regress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regress
Verb
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The introduction to the Paul Maurice playoff Panthers was a wild ride as the team reached Game 7 after trailing three games to one in the series and reverting back to Sergei Bobrovsky as their starting goalie mid-series.—
Steve Svekis,
Sun Sentinel,
18 May 2025
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Without new legislation, the top rate is set to expire and would revert back to 39.6%.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Their mental health deteriorated, which reinforced the officer’s excuse to keep them deadlocked.—
Justyna Rzewinski,
New York Daily News,
21 May 2025
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While more durable than the original Irish linen that encased the wings when the KC Eaglet rolled out of the factory on Aug. 12, 1930, all fabrics will deteriorate over time from exposure to the sun.—
Mike Hendricks,
Kansas City Star,
21 May 2025
Noun
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In this state, crucial questions regarding how Black brands will navigate such economic instability, and social regression are of the utmost importance, according to Beckham.—
Julian Randall,
Essence,
20 May 2025
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Later regressions often coincide with major developmental milestones—like crawling, standing, or understanding object permanence—as well as discomfort from teething.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 May 2025
Verb
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Plus, what the backup plan was if [SPOILER] didn't return.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
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The man soon returned, let the kids out, then took off.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2025
Verb
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The situation for consumers has worsened as businesses have passed production costs down to their customers.—
Malia Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
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Delays also worsened, with 78.1% of flights arriving on time last year, down from 78.3% in 2023.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Citigroup, Bank of America and Wells Fargo declined to comment on the WSJ report.—
John Bacon,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
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Yields have risen and the dollar has declined moderately.—
George Calhoun,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Verb
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The intense setup here is fairly straightforward as these types of sci-fi mystery shows go, with Buenos Aires residents going about their evenings when a sudden nightmarish snowfall descends over the metropolis, killing millions indiscriminately.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
23 May 2025
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The American entrepreneur was one of the five passengers killed on June 18, 2023, while the compact submersible descended en route to the wreckage of the Titanic, and Rush is now in all the talking heads' crosshairs as the villain of this tragic story.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Old systems are crumbling under the pressure of new conditions.—
Kian Bakhtiari,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
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For the characters who remain, there’s a sense that the world’s well of meaning has run dry; the old institutions have crumbled, and no one is coming to save us.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Regress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regress. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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