as in reverting
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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Recent Examples of relapsing
Oprah Winfrey said that Whitney Houston fell off her talk show stage after relapsing on drugs.
—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 June 2026
After relapsing during the third season of Queer Eye in 2018, Brown got sober from drugs and alcohol again a year and a half ago after a scary wake-up call.
—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
In Sunday night’s finale, Zendaya‘s Rue Bennett dies of a fentanyl overdose after relapsing on laced Percocet given to her by Alamo Brown (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje).
—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
1 June 2026
The other two have a more common form of MS, called relapsing MS.
—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
15 Mar. 2026
The autoimmune disease can affect nearly every organ system—including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs and brain—and typically follows a relapsing-remitting pattern, meaning symptoms flare and quiet down over time.
—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
13 Mar. 2026
Kimberly Ward, 56, has primary progressive multiple sclerosis, which affects her mobility and her partner, Kimberly Perssonatti, 49, has relapsing remitting MS that affects her cognitively regarding recall and comes with visual issues, vertigo and temperature regulation.
—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
Why addiction doesn’t end after withdrawal Addiction is a chronic, occasionally relapsing condition.
—
Emma Fenske,
The Conversation,
12 Feb. 2026
Research suggests that going off the drugs earlier than this can increase the odds of relapsing.
—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 June 2026
After relapsing during the third season of Queer Eye in 2018, Brown got sober from drugs and alcohol again a year and a half ago after a scary wake-up call.
—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
In Sunday night’s finale, Zendaya‘s Rue Bennett dies of a fentanyl overdose after relapsing on laced Percocet given to her by Alamo Brown (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje).
—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
1 June 2026
The other two have a more common form of MS, called relapsing MS.
—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
15 Mar. 2026
The autoimmune disease can affect nearly every organ system—including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs and brain—and typically follows a relapsing-remitting pattern, meaning symptoms flare and quiet down over time.
—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
13 Mar. 2026
Kimberly Ward, 56, has primary progressive multiple sclerosis, which affects her mobility and her partner, Kimberly Perssonatti, 49, has relapsing remitting MS that affects her cognitively regarding recall and comes with visual issues, vertigo and temperature regulation.
—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
Why addiction doesn’t end after withdrawal Addiction is a chronic, occasionally relapsing condition.
—
Emma Fenske,
The Conversation,
12 Feb. 2026
Research suggests that going off the drugs earlier than this can increase the odds of relapsing.
—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relapsing
Verb
-
At least Mercedes is reverting back to screwing things together rather than gluing things in a back-to-basics manufacturing push.
-
The state is reverting some districts to older lines that are more favorable to Republicans.
Verb
-
Or to some shaky American accents that keep lapsing.
-
The move comes as the partial shutdown enters its sixth week, with funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapsing in mid-February.
Cite this Entry
“Relapsing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relapsing. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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