as in to revert
to go back to a previous and usually lower state or level
the quality of research at the university lab has begun to retrogress since the massive budget cuts went into effect
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Recent Examples of retrogress
After the 1960s, after the switch in—the shift in the strategy to gaining political clout, a lot of those trends stalled, slowed, even retrogressed.
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WSJ, 3 July 2017
WSJ, 3 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retrogress
Verb
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During the team’s media day on Monday, Yang spoke some English but in mid-sentence would revert back to Chinese, producing a mix of English and Chinese that leaves the affable 7-footer chuckling at himself.—
Jason Quick,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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Lawyers for the national council argued that reverting it back under New Jersey’s operation would have devastating consequences.—
Contessa Brewer,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even though the Nittany Lions lost a top-five draft pick in edge rusher Abdul Carter, the thought was that Knowles could elevate an already-strong Penn State defense that returned plenty of talent.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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After a 2024 absence and pandemic-era drive-through editions, the festival returned in full force with food, music, dance and culture.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retrogress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retrogress. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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