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.
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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
Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
Meanwhile another trial that was double-blind examined the use of ibogaine for reducing cocaine cravings and found fewer relapses in the drug group compared with the placebo group.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 24 Apr. 2026
That lasts for at least five years for about half of all people with Crohn's who are treated properly, according to the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, though occasional relapses are not unusual.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 31 Mar. 2026
Studies show that adults with anxiety and untreated ADHD suffer greater functional impairment and more frequent relapses, meaning their severe anxiety or depressive episodes keep returning despite therapy or medication.
—Deldhy Nicolás Moya Sánchez, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
In these cases, people have unpredictable attacks and temporary relapses followed by a period of recovery.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
Throughout college, Reid’s medications provided fleeting relief, followed by relapses that left her bedridden at home.
—Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
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
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 13 May 2026
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
Noun
Using her blog, social media and strategically shot selfies, Amanda claimed to be battling Hodgkin's lymphoma, alternating between remission and relapses at least four times from 2012 to 2016.
—Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
Meanwhile another trial that was double-blind examined the use of ibogaine for reducing cocaine cravings and found fewer relapses in the drug group compared with the placebo group.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 24 Apr. 2026
That lasts for at least five years for about half of all people with Crohn's who are treated properly, according to the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, though occasional relapses are not unusual.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 31 Mar. 2026
Studies show that adults with anxiety and untreated ADHD suffer greater functional impairment and more frequent relapses, meaning their severe anxiety or depressive episodes keep returning despite therapy or medication.
—Deldhy Nicolás Moya Sánchez, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
In these cases, people have unpredictable attacks and temporary relapses followed by a period of recovery.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
Throughout college, Reid’s medications provided fleeting relief, followed by relapses that left her bedridden at home.
—Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
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
Verb
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
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
-
According to spending breakdowns from the California Department of Education, administrative salaries account for a single‑digit share of K–12 education spending statewide.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
The past has a way of forcing its way into the present through memory, guilt, shame, anger and, in many cases, emotional breakdowns.—
Jerry Colonna,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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There are still times Stokes reverts back to his worst tendencies on the basketball court.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Democrats currently hold a 6-5 edge, and the new map will hold until the process reverts back to a bipartisan redistricting commission after the 2030 Census.—
Julia Mueller,
The Hill,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This all comes after Starship suffered a string of setbacks during test flights last year, including an uncontrolled re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere and two midflight explosions as the upper-stage vehicles were accelerating into space.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
17 May 2026
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Conversely, nearly every other county in the state saw upswings as tourism continues its recovery from pandemic setbacks.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
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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
-
That big, ugly, black hole of our debt is slowly sucking out the ability of the central bank to respond to recessions, Slok argues.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
-
The efforts worked, but at the cost of two recessions.—
Christine Zhang,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
The Navy will lead the investigation, so there won’t be as much information shared publicly as in civilian crashes.—
Rebecca Boone,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
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Many crashes happened while Tesla vehicles were stationary, waiting at traffic lights, stop signs or in slow traffic.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Word of Olena’s infirmary spread throughout Mariupol’s central district, and locals caught in shellings and crossfire and building collapses came to seek her out.—
James Verini,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
-
Smith then humorously highlighted how Skip Bayless has crashed out over the years due to Cowboys’ playoff collapses and other failings by throwing jerseys and other merchandise away.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relapses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relapses. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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