retrogrades

verb

present tense third-person singular of retrograde
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retrogrades
  1. deteriorates
  2. descends
  3. worsens
  4. declines
  5. crumbles
  6. degenerates
Verb
  • In Gosha’s case, that involves getting mixed up with gangsters at a seedy nightclub, a sequence that quickly deteriorates from being mildly comical to sinister to outright terrifying by even degrees.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
  • Teams remain busy while the quality of decisions quietly deteriorates.
    — Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of deteriorates
Verb
  • Just as a group of carefree New York City twentysomethings (including Mike Vogel and Lizzy Caplan) gathers to celebrate one of their friend’s impending move westward, a creature the size of the Empire State Building descends on the city.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • Finally comes the terminal phase, when the warhead re-enters the atmosphere and descends toward its target.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026
Definition of descends
Verb
  • The surplus of short-term rentals worsens the shortage of affordable housing.
    — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
  • The loss of immigrant workers worsens the staffing crisis and increases the workload on existing employees.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 July 2026
Definition of worsens
Verb
  • An engagement score declines, a review meeting goes flat, a survey response comes back indifferent—and the team responds.
    — Frank Auger, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • If a winner cannot be contacted; fails to respond within ten (10) days; is found ineligible; or declines the prize, The Athletic may select an alternate winner.
    — The Athletic, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of declines
Verb
  • That is the moment that everything crumbles for Rachel.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
  • Loyalty, betrayal, illness and war all bear down on the group as the old order crumbles around them.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026
Definition of crumbles
Verb
  • 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
Definition of degenerates

Browse Nearby Words

retrograded
retrogrades
retrograding
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Cite this Entry

“Retrogrades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retrogrades. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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