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
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Recent Examples of relapse
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
13 June 2026
During that time, Carol faced a relapse of a malignant brain tumor, which had been diagnosed 7 years earlier at the age of 36.
—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
In Sunday night’s finale, Zendaya‘s Rue Bennett dies of a fentanyl overdose after relapsing on laced Percocet given to her by Alamo Brown (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje).
—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for relapse
Noun
Health officials in Senegal interviewed for this story worry that this kind of relapse is happening more broadly.
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Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
13 June 2026
During that time, Carol faced a relapse of a malignant brain tumor, which had been diagnosed 7 years earlier at the age of 36.
—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
Verb
After finding out about the affair, her mother, a recovering alcoholic, relapsed and had to be hospitalized.
—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
In Sunday night’s finale, Zendaya‘s Rue Bennett dies of a fentanyl overdose after relapsing on laced Percocet given to her by Alamo Brown (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje).
—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for relapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relapse
Noun
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The tradwife trend is controversial in that it is seen by some as a rejection of feminism and a reversion to a seemingly simpler time.
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No photos have been revealed yet for next year’s release, but the reversion to the name Super Freak suggests the original details should return as well.
Verb
-
The effect hasn’t mean-reverted.
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These returns do not revert in subsequent trading days and are orders of magnitude larger than those outside the 24-hour pre-FOMC window.
Noun
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Janet, meanwhile, is having the kind of emotional breakdown that necessitates producer intervention.
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To help identify which aspects to comment on, Ginexi provides a helpful breakdown of the different sections of the OMB’s proposal.
Verb
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Is gas still moving through the Tabriz-Ankara corridor at material volumes in mid-July, after the contract lapses?
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Since his status lapsed, Ortega started a GoFundMe in case his renewal doesn’t come in time for the new semester.
Noun
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America’s centennial in 1876 was celebrated with a grand exhibition that projected an image of national unity and inventiveness in the anxious aftermath of civil war and recession.
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The Foundation attributes the stagnation in Millennial incomes directly to the timing of recession entry.
Noun
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That is expected to be a setback to Hanwha Ocean, as the contract was estimated to be up to $100 billion over three decades, according to The Korea Times.
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Bryant Vincent’s team has teased in each of his first two years in Monroe, starting 3-1 last season before the roof caved in with eight straight setbacks.
Noun
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The military declared McKinney dead in March 1946, though no crash site had been identified, let alone any remains of the man from Providence, Rhode Island.
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The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said it was not notified of the crash, according to local reports.
Noun
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Vibrations from earth-moving equipment could have triggered further collapses, possibly dooming Gil — and his would-be rescuers.
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Historians have devoted enormous attention to the collapse of the royal courts, the creation of state judiciaries, the drafting of new constitutions, and the construction of the legal institutions of the new republic.
Cite this Entry
“Relapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relapse. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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