as in reversion
the act or an instance of returning to a usually worse state or condition
She discussed some ways to help avoid a relapse after quitting smoking. After a long period of cancer remission, he suffered a relapse.
Related Words
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Dissimilar Words
as in to revert
to return to a usually worse state or condition
After a few good months of keeping their rooms clean, the kids relapsed into their old untidy habits.
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Dissimilar Words
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Recent Examples of relapse
Shawn Tully, Fortune, 19 May 2026
Also inexplicable is the movie’s setting circa the dawn of COVID, where masks and quarantine come into play — though for many out there, that was surely a time when relapses were around the bend, the temptation of a bender without judgment and out of view very easily had.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 May 2026
Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026
The story takes quite a few turns, like when the father of Margo’s child and Margo’s former English professor, Mark Gable (Michael Angarano), challenges her for custody of baby Bodhi and when her father tragically relapses into drug addiction towards the end of Season 1.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for relapse
Noun
Indeed, the recent numbers show a sharp shift from modest progress to a relapse towards the danger zone.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 19 May 2026
Also inexplicable is the movie’s setting circa the dawn of COVID, where masks and quarantine come into play — though for many out there, that was surely a time when relapses were around the bend, the temptation of a bender without judgment and out of view very easily had.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 May 2026
Verb
Brown’s parole officer first notified police that the defendant had relapsed on crack cocaine and was expressing suicidal ideation on the morning of the shooting, prosecutors said.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026
The story takes quite a few turns, like when the father of Margo’s child and Margo’s former English professor, Mark Gable (Michael Angarano), challenges her for custody of baby Bodhi and when her father tragically relapses into drug addiction towards the end of Season 1.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for relapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relapse
Noun
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For those who are purely rate-motivated, the near-term outlook doesn't offer much relief: the Fed's rate path implies a gradual, modest decline in mortgage rates, not a reversion to pandemic-era levels.—
Jason Kirsch,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
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The investor noted that dispersion in semiconductor stocks should force some mean reversion.—
Liz Napolitano,Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
Verb
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How registration rates work The cut will temporarily revert tab fees to pre-2024 levels, though individual savings will depend on a vehicle’s value and age.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
31 May 2026
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Starbucks’ decision to revert back to its previous inventory system also reflects broader growing pains in how the retail industry has deployed AI.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
28 May 2026
Noun
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Midfielder Onni Valakari framed the mistakes less as individual breakdowns than collective failures.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
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Add-ons include roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement and mechanical breakdown insurance.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Alfonsi said Wednesday that her contract lapsed over the weekend.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
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Four days after his arrest, Williams filed a habeas corpus petition arguing that ICE — despite a detainer — had not issued a warrant to take him into custody and was languishing in the jail even after the agreement with the county allowing him to be kept there for 72 hours had lapsed.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 May 2026
Noun
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Factor in at least one recession and one bout of inflation over the coming decade — both historically normal — and 130% is a reasonable working assumption.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 May 2026
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Last year, companies, nonprofits and government agencies added fewer than 10,000 jobs a month, weakest hiring outside recession years since 2002.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Noun
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The recent history of such fiery setbacks is not a positive one for Blue Origin.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 May 2026
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Yet there have been setbacks, too.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Noun
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At the time of the crash, Funes-Barajas’ mother told the news station KTVU that her son was pulling out of a relative’s driveway when the Mustang struck his vehicle.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
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Authorities identified a woman killed in a three-vehicle crash Tuesday in Deerfield Beach, citing excessive speed as a possible contributing factor in the collision, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said.—
Sofia Saric
May 27,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2026
Noun
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Throwing Israel ‘under the bus’ Netanyahu has pushed to strike Iran’s oil facilities to accelerate the regime’s collapse, the official said.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
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Then came the collapse of the Assad regime, in Syria, severing the land route long used by Hezbollah to transport rockets, antitank missiles, and precision-guidance systems from its Iranian patron.—
Euan Ward,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relapse. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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