as in breakdowns
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 reverts
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 relapses
Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 28 Jan. 2026
After one character relapses, Clay is offered the empty room at a group home.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 25 Jan. 2026
Across the squad, only 10 players have not missed a match due to an injury sustained this season (Jude Bellingham and Endrick have both been absent in games due to existing problems/relapses during recovery from these issues).
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
In the 36 years since then, she’s been on six different treatments and — despite multiple relapses with symptoms ranging from blurred vision to migraines and memory loss — has enjoyed a peripatetic life with Fox, traveling around the country and the world and cherishing every moment together.
—Andrew Abrahams, PEOPLE, 11 Dec. 2025
Having had numerous previous relapses, Wilson began sobriety at age 39.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 11 Dec. 2025
His drug addiction harmed him for decades, with constant advances and setbacks, with relapses that wore down his health.
—Esteban Campanela, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
Said to offer a level of care not currently available in any other local program, patients would be overseen by doctors and nurses who would oversee withdrawal management and therapy designed to prevent relapses.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
Not only are relapses unpredictable but scientists have yet to explain the slow and insidious degeneration that often occurs even without new lesions.
—Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
Katie Rife, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2026
Noun
According to the police foundation, the centers have helped cut crime relapses from 85% in 2017 to a current 6%.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 28 Jan. 2026
After one character relapses, Clay is offered the empty room at a group home.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 25 Jan. 2026
Across the squad, only 10 players have not missed a match due to an injury sustained this season (Jude Bellingham and Endrick have both been absent in games due to existing problems/relapses during recovery from these issues).
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
In the 36 years since then, she’s been on six different treatments and — despite multiple relapses with symptoms ranging from blurred vision to migraines and memory loss — has enjoyed a peripatetic life with Fox, traveling around the country and the world and cherishing every moment together.
—Andrew Abrahams, PEOPLE, 11 Dec. 2025
Having had numerous previous relapses, Wilson began sobriety at age 39.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 11 Dec. 2025
His drug addiction harmed him for decades, with constant advances and setbacks, with relapses that wore down his health.
—Esteban Campanela, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
Said to offer a level of care not currently available in any other local program, patients would be overseen by doctors and nurses who would oversee withdrawal management and therapy designed to prevent relapses.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
Not only are relapses unpredictable but scientists have yet to explain the slow and insidious degeneration that often occurs even without new lesions.
—Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
Cody and Jack’s sister Katrina (Emily Meade) is barely mentioned until Cody relapses and breaks into her house to pass out on her couch.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relapses
Noun
-
Staff shortages and equipment breakdowns are just some examples.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
27 Feb. 2026
-
But perimeter breakdowns proved costly.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The final rule reverts the industry to standards first established in 2012 by the Obama administration that have reduced mercury emissions by nearly 90%.—
Michael Phillis,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The decision effectively reverts regulations to those set in 2012 by the Obama administration.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Frank repeatedly praised their resilience and ability to respond to setbacks during his reign, but that mainly happened in away matches.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
But, so far, Fanatics hasn’t faced much scrutiny either by federal regulators or in Congress, and the company hasn’t hit any major setbacks in the cases in which it’s accused of monopolistic practices.—
A.J. Perez,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That could — when the policy lapses ― expose taxpayers to additional risk.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Watch for and prune out any reversions, which are individual shoots lacking variegation.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
-
But there are a wide range of both broken skills and weapons (go try out Sturm), and some promised updates or nerf reversions don’t seem to have happened at all.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This includes both 2000 and 2007, when bubbles bursting coincided with painful recessions.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The United States is adept enough at handling the labor-market damage caused by recessions.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
After the 2014 wreck that killed Philip Lutzenkirchen, his family founded the Lutzie 43 Foundation to reduce the number of people killed in car crashes.—
Doug Turnbull for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
AJC.com,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Two pedestrians were killed in separate crashes in Long Beach late Wednesday night, police said.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Previous bear markets followed explicit collapses, like the fall of FTX in November 2022.—
Ben Weiss,
Fortune,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Power that relies on repetition collapses when the pattern is named.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relapses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relapses. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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