as in reversion
the act or an instance of returning to a usually worse state or condition
She discussed some ways to help avoid a relapse after quitting smoking. After a long period of cancer remission, he suffered a relapse.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in to revert
to return to a usually worse state or condition
After a few good months of keeping their rooms clean, the kids relapsed into their old untidy habits.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 relapse
Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Removing it requires resolve, and resisting relapse is difficult.
—Autumn Dorsey, Boston Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2025
Having relapsed several times, Gabaldon aims to be a mentor so that his customers do not just end up in jail or undergo rehabilitation and are left to fend for themselves after that.
—Jorge Garcia, Reuters, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for relapse
Noun
Alaba is already 33 and, for almost two years now, injuries or relapses have prevented him playing regularly, so his recovery has been viewed with pessimism within the club.
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Removing it requires resolve, and resisting relapse is difficult.
—Autumn Dorsey, Boston Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
Both were treated with heavy antibiotic regimens and recovered, though patient 2 relapsed in November, requiring another hospital stay.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2025
Having relapsed several times, Gabaldon aims to be a mentor so that his customers do not just end up in jail or undergo rehabilitation and are left to fend for themselves after that.
—Jorge Garcia, Reuters, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for relapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relapse
Noun
-
But there are a wide range of both broken skills and weapons (go try out Sturm), and some promised updates or nerf reversions don’t seem to have happened at all.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
To De Luca and Abdy, making that $90-million picture with a reversion deal was a judgment call based on prior results.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Even the president jumped in when the chain reverted back to its old logo.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Aurora made several driverless runs earlier this year before reverting back to safety driver operations at the request of their truck manufacturer partner; the company’s status as a driverless operation is somewhat murky.—
Richard Bishop,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Premiering September 18, the weekly series will feature cast interviews, behind-the-scenes insights, and expert breakdowns of each episode's performances.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Meanwhile, the demographic breakdown of these ChatGPT users had shifted, with the chatbot slowly becoming more universal across genders and national borders.—
Dylan Butts,Shreya Ghosal,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
New York mandates such notice, yet fluoridation in Buffalo lapsed for years before it was widely known.—
Anna Clark,
ProPublica,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Policy experts warn that millions of Americans will see their premiums rise substantially if the subsidies are allowed to lapse.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The housing market is long been seen as an early warning sign for recessions, and one data point in particular has caught the attention of Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
-
And, in 2023, forecasters and Fed economists predicted a recession that never happened.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Jackson faced several setbacks this season but proved her fitness during the 100-meter dash rounds the past two days.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Sunday’s setback, Johnson said, occurred in the same affected area but in a new way.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Most recently, he was badly injured after a high–speed car crash in New Hampshire in August.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Initial reports said the possible crash may have occurred near Summit Lake, the sheriff's office said.—
Jessica Gorman,
ABC News,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Rangers don’t hold the tiebreaker over either team and would need a massive collapse from both to get back in the division hunt.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Sep. 2025
-
None of the engagements produced their intended outcomes, and, in the case of Colvin’s dealings with Mauriss, the collapse of their pact led to legal threats.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Relapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relapse. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share