RELAPSE Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

relapse 1 of 2

noun

Definition of relapse

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

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

relapse

2 of 2

verb

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.

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 relapse

Noun

Now, in a study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers have found that a single dose of psilocybin combined with about 10 psychotherapy sessions can reduce cocaine use and lower relapse risk. — Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 10 Aug. 2026 Allison Janney won an Emmy for the Mom episode where her character has a drug relapse. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2026

Verb

The illness can last anywhere from days to over a month if untreated, and symptoms could relapse one or more times after a person feels better. — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026 Seek medical care for prolonged or relapsing watery diarrhea, and ask your provider to specifically request cyclospora testing, as it is not reliably detected on routine stool exams. — Joseph Hernandez august 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for relapse

Recent Examples of Synonyms for relapse

Noun

Referred to as reversions, these should also be removed promptly.

— Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 12 Sep. 2026
That sense is epitomised by the reversion to goalkeepers who can, unlike some of the strugglers from 2022-23, actually make saves on a consistent basis.

— Michael Cox, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of reversion

Verb

Airlines can revert some Maxes to the older software version.

— Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026
Just after Sky announced its greenlight earlier this year, Banijay and Sony entered a rights dispute revolving around Banijay believing the TV and film rights had reverted back to them since The Girl in the Spider’s Web movie aired.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of revert

Noun

Pourharton presented a breakdown of sales at GG Mart showing groceries accounted for about $203,000 in business over the past nine months, well more than half of the roughly $384,000 in overall sales that include tobacco and vaping products.

— Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Process for Serra is autotelic; the activities on the Verb List are ongoing, interrupted only by completion or breakdown.

— Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of breakdown

Noun

Kjer said the department never recovered from the 2008 recession, when city leaders cut staffing by more than 25%, leaving it with about 1,500 workers last year.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Escalating real-estate prices, the rising costs of fabrication, and changing market demands (not to mention the underlying threat of recession) have made the mega-indie studio model increasingly difficult to maintain in major cities.

— Adrian Madlener, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of recession

Noun

The setback sparked speculation in Spanish media that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez could consider bringing forward elections from next year.

— JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
And just when that effort was paying dividends, Sayegh faced another major setback in April 2025 when part of the ceiling in her theater collapsed.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of setback

Noun

Two people were killed in as many crashes on Arkansas roads on Friday, according to preliminary police reports.

— Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
The 70-year-old driver was taken to a hospital for treatment of burns to his legs, which were listed as serious injuries, according to the crash report.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of crash

Noun

Two weeks into fighting, the unforgiving mountainous terrain, heavy Saudi and government air power, and a reenergized anti-Houthi coalition have kept the Houthi advance in check, preventing a collapse on the level of that in mid-September.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
While the exact time of the collapse is unknown, the Volcanoes National Park team said on social media Thursday that the arch was still standing on Wednesday, September 23, when the park was temporarily closed during Tropical Storm Nolo.

— Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of collapse

Browse Nearby Words

relaid

relapse

relapsed

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Relapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relapse. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of relapse

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perseverate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes