regresses 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of regress
1
as in reverts
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deteriorates
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

regresses

2 of 2

noun

plural of regress
as in regressions

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 regresses
Verb
Rather than imagine the ways these characters might have evolved over nearly 30 years, the script by Akiva Goldsman, Georgia Pritchett, and Kelly Marcel regresses the women in order to retread many of the beats of the original film. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026 The immortal being who’d called himself a god just moments prior regresses into his stuttering, childhood self. — Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026 Anagen is followed by a brief transitional phase called catagen, during which the follicle regresses and severs its connection to its blood supply. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Whether the Commanders can catch the Eagles already likely depends on whether Daniels builds on his rookie season or hits a sophomore slump and regresses after Washington was the best fourth-down team in history last season. — David Wilson, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025 So perhaps the off-ramp is some disaster that regresses on social, technological, or political progress, knocking backward humanity’s millennia-long history of struggle and growth. — Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regresses
  1. reverts
  2. deteriorates
  3. regressions
  4. returns
  5. descends
  6. retreats
  7. worsens
  8. ebbs
Verb
  • The decision reverts Missouri’s congressional map to what was used in 2022 and 2024 until voters approve or reject the new map in November.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The lease limits what can be built on the site and once the agreement is complete, ownership reverts back to the Spanglers.
    — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of reverts
Verb
  • As her brother Aldwin’s mental health deteriorates, Lil considers risking her future to travel to him.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Keep the effort easy enough that your movement quality improves rather than deteriorates.
    — Dana Santas, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of deteriorates
Noun
  • Instead, the team has encountered numerous significant injuries and performance regressions throughout the roster.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • That desire has fueled the growth of the group's WhatsApp chat, where more than 100 fathers swap advice on everything from sleep regressions and picky eaters to potty training and weekend activities.
    — Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 20 June 2026
Definition of regressions
Verb
  • As Holmes serves time in federal prison, the actress returns as her literal double in reenactments and conversations, first haunting the San Diego beach house, then Evans’ new residence in Texas — even interacting with the couple’s kids.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The Home button returns you to the home screen, and the Location button opens a screen that displays your service address (home) and your current location.
    — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of returns
Verb
  • As evening descends on Paris, there are ominous signs for what lies ahead tonight.
    — Elina Baudier Kim, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The visuals are too murky even to provide a nasty thrill when a pod of orcas descends on Jay’s gargantuan host.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of descends
Noun
  • Sylge, who has spent the last 30 years attending and organizing health and wellness retreats around the world, developed this exercise to help people reclaim their time.
    — Margaret Cirino, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Door offers seven-day retreats, reasoning that that’s the amount of time required to bring you back to you.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of retreats
Verb
  • French bond turmoil worsens French social and political volatility is compounded by an emerging fiscal crisis, which on Thursday pushed its benchmark government borrowing cost to a fresh 24-year high.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
  • This yearly bottleneck worsens as changing fee structures make costs hard to predict.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of worsens
Noun
  • Years of going through the ebbs and flows of playoff games had the Knicks ready.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 16 June 2026
  • Construction ebbs and flows with cyclical interest rates.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
Definition of ebbs

Browse Nearby Words

regressed
regresses
regressing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Regresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regresses. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All