as in deteriorates
to become worse or of less value
the Dark Ages, the period following the fall of the Roman Empire when Western civilization seriously retrograded
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Recent Examples of retrogrades
Then comes 11/11, the astro-numerological portal, and with it, Jupiter retrogrades into Cancer, your sector of wellness, service, and daily rituals.
—
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 9 Nov. 2025
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retrogrades
Verb
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Emily Demirdonder, director of operations and marketing at Proximity Plumbing, said the rubber backing deteriorates in hot water and breaks apart during the spin cycle, and those fragments can block drain pumps and drainage pipes—sometimes leading to flooding and machine failure.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
28 Jan. 2026
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Staying at home when weather deteriorates will allow essential personnel to travel more safely to work.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The situation quickly spirals out of control, and her life descends into chaos.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
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The festive horror centers on Gino, whose traditional Italian family Christmas Eve celebration descends into chaos when his deceased grandmother returns from the dead and embarks on a killing spree.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Doctors monitor progression and severity of the disease by measuring the size of the left ventricle, the heart’s muscle that pumps blood to the body, which shrinks as the condition worsens.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
5 Feb. 2026
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Software stock slide worsens on AI fears US software stocks sank further Tuesday on swelling investor fears that new AI tools will eat their lunch.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As the population ages and the number of college students declines, institutions of higher education are actively cultivating a crop of midlife and older students.—
Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
9 Feb. 2026
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Ed Setzler declines to run to replace Barry Loudermilk.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The song was inspired by surviving a toxic relationship, and then finding a true-hearted love that crumbles emotional walls.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
15 Jan. 2026
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Academic success means little if a child crumbles under stress.—
Dr. Mona Amin,
CNBC,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Volume 1 about a troubled pregnant woman who accepts an invite to a dinner party which degenerates into a bloody and demented nightmare.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retrogrades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retrogrades. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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