1
: the act or an instance of backsliding, worsening, or subsiding
2
: a recurrence of symptoms of a disease after a period of improvement
relapsed; relapsing
1
: to slip or fall back into a former worse state
relapser
noun
Examples of relapse in a Sentence
Noun
Everyone thought she was well until a sudden relapse sent her back to the hospital.
a drug addict who has had a relapse
a drug addict who has a history of relapse
Verb
If you don't continue your treatment, you could relapse.
Malaria can relapse years after the original infection.
The country soon relapsed into chaos.
She stayed out of trouble for a long time, but then she relapsed into her old ways.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024
No amount of rehab or pharmaceutical counter-agents can prevent a relapse; achieving and maintaining sobriety requires daily effort.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2024
Brandi Jones, Msn-Ed, Rn-Bc, Health, 24 Sep. 2024
After relapsing five times, the native of the Columbus suburb of Sunbury died at 16 years old on Nov. 13, 2023.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for relapse 
Noun
However, their effectiveness in preventing relapse has been questioned.
—Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024
No amount of rehab or pharmaceutical counter-agents can prevent a relapse; achieving and maintaining sobriety requires daily effort.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2024
Verb
Women typically receive an MS diagnosis in their early 30s, most often with relapsing MS, the most common type.
—Brandi Jones, Msn-Ed, Rn-Bc, Health, 24 Sep. 2024
After relapsing five times, the native of the Columbus suburb of Sunbury died at 16 years old on Nov. 13, 2023.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for relapse
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'relapse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near relapse
Cite this Entry
“Relapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relapse. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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Medical Definition
: a recurrence of illness
especially
: a recurrence of symptoms of a disease after a period of improvement
a relapse after an 18-month remission —M. T. Fosburg et al.
compare recrudescence
M. T. Fosburg et al. relapse
2 of 2 intransitive verb
re·lapse
ri-ˈlaps 
relapsed; relapsing
: to slip or fall back into a former worse state (as of illness) after a change for the better
the patient relapsed twice in four years
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