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
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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
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Recent Examples of relapse
Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Whether craving returns when people stop taking them — and whether that return triggers relapse — is unknown.
—Ziyad Al-Aly, STAT, 4 Mar. 2026
Ziyad Al-Aly, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
Despite treatment advances, many patients with multiple myeloma eventually relapse and need new lines of therapy.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for relapse
Noun
Throughout college, Reid’s medications provided fleeting relief, followed by relapses that left her bedridden at home.
—Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Whether craving returns when people stop taking them — and whether that return triggers relapse — is unknown.
—Ziyad Al-Aly, STAT, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
Other observational studies have linked GLP-1 drugs to lower rates of new and recurring alcohol use disorder, reduced diagnoses and relapse in cannabis use disorder, fewer health care visits for nicotine dependence and lower risk of opioid overdose.
—Ziyad Al-Aly, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
Despite treatment advances, many patients with multiple myeloma eventually relapse and need new lines of therapy.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for relapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relapse
Noun
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His lack of playing time and impact at recent stops in Golden State, Miami and Utah will lead many to assume a reversion to past Wolves form isn’t in the cards.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Feb. 2026
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Much of that decline is a reversion to more typical prices following a supply shock triggered by a historic outbreak of bird flu, according to economists.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Huskers took a brief pause from their doldrums to summon up a home win against Minnesota only to revert back to losing, dropping four more in a row.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
13 Mar. 2026
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That decision was reversed last year, when Zaslav and Bloys decided to revert back to the HBO Max name to highlight the strength of HBO’s programming.—
Alex Sherman,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Read on to learn what distinguishes fast running from slow running, the unique benefits of each, and the ideal breakdown within a training program, depending on your goals.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
20 Mar. 2026
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The breakdown of gender relations in the United States isn’t an internet freakshow anymore.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The callout rate for unscheduled absences by frontline officers jumped to an average of 6% during the current shutdown, compared with about 2% before government funding lapsed, according to CBS News, citing TSA statistics.—
Amanda Musa,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
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Houston Hobby International Airport reached a 55% callout rate on Saturday, which the DHS has described as the highest since the department funding lapsed last month.—
Tom Costello,
NBC news,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But the energy shock alone likely isn’t enough to tip the world’s largest economy into a recession.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
20 Mar. 2026
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But a painful reckoning can follow if prices stay elevated, as consumers and businesses cut energy use, economies slide toward recession and policymakers press for interventions on the industry.—
Evan Halper,
Washington Post,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But economic setbacks pale in comparison to tragic loss of life.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
14 Mar. 2026
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Americans fear outliving their savings as much as any other potential retirement setback, including failing health, according to research from the Transamerica Center.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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All six crew members of a KC-135 Air Force refueling aircraft were killed last week in a plane crash over friendly territory in western Iraq while supporting operations against Iran.—
DARLENE SUPERVILLE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
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According to Quigley’s attendance and overtime sheet, he is noted as working five hours the day of the crash with three hours of personal time.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Even before Israel’s killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, nudged Hezbollah into action, the ceasefire appeared to be on the brink of collapse.—
Asher Kaufman,
The Conversation,
20 Mar. 2026
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Dangerous flooding is impacting Hawaii's Oahu island, prompting evacuations and a warning from local officials of a possible dam collapse, as major rains pummel the area for the second significant rain event in a week.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relapse. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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