1
as in to revert
to go back to a previous and usually lower state or level
in extreme circumstances, people sometimes regress to the behavior they exhibited in childhood
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the annual celebration has regressed to the point where it's nothing more than an excuse to get drunk
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in regression
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of regress
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 May 2025
Baseball was expected to improve, but instead regressed and missed the conference tournament.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 2025
Anne Tapp Jaksa, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2025
And there’s a lot of people telling them to regress, to be expecting women to take their last names, and to stay at home and to make lots of babies and to not ask too many questions.
—Miles Bryan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for regress
Verb
The Nuggets regressed from eighth in defensive rating to 21st in the league last season.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 May 2025
Baseball was expected to improve, but instead regressed and missed the conference tournament.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 2025
Noun
From the days when enslaved people were legally forbidden from learning to read, to the fight for desegregation in Brown v. Board of Education, to the overturning of affirmative action, schools have both reflected and shaped racial progress and regress in America.
—Anne Tapp Jaksa, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2025
And there’s a lot of people telling them to regress, to be expecting women to take their last names, and to stay at home and to make lots of babies and to not ask too many questions.
—Miles Bryan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for regress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regress
Verb
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The rights to Fixed reverted back to Sony, which tossed shopped the project into the market, for Netflix to fetch.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2025
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The House passed a stopgap spending bill to avoid a government shutdown in March, but the bill reverted Washington to its 2024 budget until Congress can pass new appropriations by Oct. 1.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
10 June 2025
Verb
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However, the situation is expected to deteriorate further as Netanyahu gave a public speech saying Israel’s military action may last several days.—
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
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Eventually, Paley’s eyesight deteriorated due to diabetes.—
Meilan Solly,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 June 2025
Noun
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Last season, the 35-year-old tight end showed some signs of regression.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
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Photo: Getty Images But revival doesn’t have to mean regression.—
Ashliene McMenamy,
Allure,
17 May 2025
Verb
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That returns us to the tragic killing of Officer Rivera, who’d been on the Chicago police force for four years and is survived by a young daughter.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2025
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Rourke, returning from NFL stints, reclaims the Lions' offense after Vernon Adams Jr.'s departure, aiming to reignite the vertical attack that made BC one of the league's most explosive teams last year.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 June 2025
Verb
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As the disease worsens, these sores often develop umbilication, a small dent in the skin that resembles a belly button.—
Francisco J. Rivera Rosario,
Health,
7 June 2025
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Empty office spaces, slumping rents, sky-high office vacancies, and a meltdown in real estate values have coalesced into a worsening commercial property market in the Bay Area.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The April 11 ruling came during a hearing in Maryland, where a Justice Department attorney declined to provide basic details about Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
7 June 2025
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Travis' declining mental health began to affect his parenting, which led Whitney to limit Travis' visitation, per a September 2024 court filing reviewed by PEOPLE.—
Nicole Acosta,
People.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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In November 1990, more than 3,000 women descended on the sleepy beach town of San Bernardo del Tuyú, Argentina, for what was becoming a legendary event.—
Marta Martínez,
NPR,
8 June 2025
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But on one March evening, these hulking installations were just a backdrop: Goose, and 1,000 of its most ardent fans, descended on the space for a special event promoting the ascendant Connecticut jam band’s new album, Everything Must Go (released April 25).—
Lyndsey Havens,
Billboard,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The strikes overwhelmed air defense systems, and the city was rife with fires burning, buildings crumbling, and other debris from the attacks.—
Christopher Tremoglie,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
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The myth that Medicaid is for 'someone else' is crumbling fast.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Regress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regress. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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