1
as in reverting
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deteriorating
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of regressing
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
Spoelstra’s latest challenge to Ware came in mid-January, calling him out for regressing after his strong November stretch.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Vrabel, who played in four Super Bowls for the Patriots as a linebacker, overhauled a group that was regressing in coach Bill Belichick's final year and worsened in Jerod Mayo's lone season.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Teachers at Sophia’s school told her parents that her reading skills were regressing, prompting them to order her glasses and schedule what seemed like routine tests.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
In the face of that reality—the death, functionally, of the American dream—millennials, Gen Zers and Gen Alphaers have started fantasizing about the abolition of money, of technology, of progress entirely, to the point of dreaming about regressing away from humanity itself.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025
Even before the Spurs became the fifth Denver opponent to make more than 15 threes this season, Adelman was already alert to the fact that his team’s defense was regressing.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2025
With this loss, Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes dropped to 3-9 on the season — significantly regressing compared to last year's 9-4 finish.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
Their debut album, Forever, sounds like temporarily regressing to your childhood self while tripping—a kind of gleaming innocence desperately fending off the darkness of adulthood lurking at the periphery.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
And when Varley returns to Portia after a stint with the manipulative and tempestuous Lady Penwood (Katie Leung), that’s not Bridgerton simply regressing to a status quo.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
Spoelstra’s latest challenge to Ware came in mid-January, calling him out for regressing after his strong November stretch.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Vrabel, who played in four Super Bowls for the Patriots as a linebacker, overhauled a group that was regressing in coach Bill Belichick's final year and worsened in Jerod Mayo's lone season.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Teachers at Sophia’s school told her parents that her reading skills were regressing, prompting them to order her glasses and schedule what seemed like routine tests.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
In the face of that reality—the death, functionally, of the American dream—millennials, Gen Zers and Gen Alphaers have started fantasizing about the abolition of money, of technology, of progress entirely, to the point of dreaming about regressing away from humanity itself.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025
Even before the Spurs became the fifth Denver opponent to make more than 15 threes this season, Adelman was already alert to the fact that his team’s defense was regressing.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2025
With this loss, Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes dropped to 3-9 on the season — significantly regressing compared to last year's 9-4 finish.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
Their debut album, Forever, sounds like temporarily regressing to your childhood self while tripping—a kind of gleaming innocence desperately fending off the darkness of adulthood lurking at the periphery.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regressing
Verb
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That also means that either reverting BIOS settings or performing an OS reset is possible.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
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The stadium also has a different name, reverting back to Sporting Park after its 10-year agreement with Children’s Mercy expired.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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First, can spores and nutrients in a solid form be mixed in a workable concrete without deteriorating it?—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
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The alert, issued Monday morning, warns residents in Sunriver, Camp Sherman, Sisters and La Pine to prepare for dangerous travel and rapidly deteriorating conditions once the heavy snow strikes.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Premier defense is a strong suit with seven returning starters and eight college commits, backing a talented pitching trio in junior Grace Simmons, and eighth-graders Ella Parece and Molly Buffington.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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The New York Times, citing US intelligence reports, said Iranian personnel have been digging out underground missile bunkers and silos struck by American and Israeli bombs and returning them to operation hours after attacks.—
Arsalan Shahla,
Fortune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This also might be an opportunity to express your concern about his worsening drinking and ask him to get help.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
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But with one-fifth of the world’s oil supply still largely bottled up in the Persian Gulf, which provides more than 80% of Asia’s energy supplies, shortages are worsening and getting hard to stave off with contingency measures.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Three other vehicles with human drivers then appeared to illegally pass the stopped bus.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
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The truck crossed into the eastbound lane and crashed into the stopped Kia, striking the three pedestrians, CHP said.—
Aidin Vaziri,
San Francisco Chronicle,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The crumbling industrial scenery by Riccardo Hernández is visually stunning and versatile, and it’s gorgeously illuminated by lighting designer Robert Wierzel.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
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Surrounded by vicious and violent hitmen that have been pressed into service as childcare, Juan Pablo must reckon with his father's crumbling power and find his own way in the world after his death.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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European luxury is entering a high-stakes first-quarter reporting period as sentiment has taken a decisive hit, just as many of the sector's big names were nearing a turning point after years of declining sales.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
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The Royal Navy has shrunk dramatically since the Cold War ended, with combat-ready ships declining from 166 in 1975 to 66 in 2025, following decades of military spending cuts.—
Pan Pylas,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Video from the rescue shows the helicopter descending near the Seneca River and then hovering over the water, where the dog is struggling to keep its head above the surface.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
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But then, suddenly, a silhouette appears, quickly descending those stairs.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Regressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regressing. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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