1
as in to revert
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to deteriorate
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
as in regression
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of regress
Anne Tapp Jaksa, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2025
And there’s a lot of people telling them to regress, to be expecting women to take their last names, and to stay at home and to make lots of babies and to not ask too many questions.
—Miles Bryan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
Toronto’s starting catcher regressed to normalcy, hitting .251 in 2023 and 2024, not sniffing double-digit homers or an above-average OPS.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for regress
Verb
From the days when enslaved people were legally forbidden from learning to read, to the fight for desegregation in Brown v. Board of Education, to the overturning of affirmative action, schools have both reflected and shaped racial progress and regress in America.
—Anne Tapp Jaksa, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2025
And there’s a lot of people telling them to regress, to be expecting women to take their last names, and to stay at home and to make lots of babies and to not ask too many questions.
—Miles Bryan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Noun
After trading Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers to take Williams with the top pick, Chicago actually regressed by two games from its 7-10 season in 2023.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
Toronto’s starting catcher regressed to normalcy, hitting .251 in 2023 and 2024, not sniffing double-digit homers or an above-average OPS.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for regress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regress
Verb
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The House version reverts the increase to $2,000 after 2028.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
28 June 2025
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But the council reverted back to its initial version that aligns with the other cities, citing better consistency for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, which polices Del Mar, Solana Beach and Encinitas.—
Luke Harold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 June 2025
Verb
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The two deteriorating sites are both on the radar of municipal officials.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
21 July 2025
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The rallies are borne of a deep dissatisfaction with the state of the economy, the deteriorating quality of public services, the administration’s overzealous approach to taxation, and police brutality.—
Ken Opalo,
semafor.com,
21 July 2025
Noun
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However, this year’s splits are so pronounced that some kind of positive regression seems inevitable.—
Neil Paine,
New York Times,
22 July 2025
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The Panthers are banking on a repeat performance, even if Jackson feels like a potential regression candidate.—
Mike Kaye
July 14,
Charlotte Observer,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Recalibrating the brain's pleasure pathways enables desire to return organically, as observed by the Kinsey Institute, which reported a 25% increase in arousal response among participants who underwent dopamine reset.—
Ximena Araya-Fischel,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
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Hart undercut the route, picked off the throw and returned it for a touchdown.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
26 July 2025
Verb
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This misinformation can also lead to insurance denials, distorted retirement planning, and worsened stigma.—
Jennifer Jay Palumbo,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Most of the Corn Belt and Midwest remain drought-free, except for northern Illinois where conditions worsened, the agency said.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Brown-Forman's sales declined 5% in the 2025 fiscal year, partly due to ongoing tariff disputes.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
25 July 2025
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Read on to find out where home prices have declined the most over the last year.—
Andrew DePietro,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Riders descend the steep volcanic slope at speeds up to 40 miles per hour, wearing jumpsuits and goggles for protection.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
26 July 2025
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The company descended into a form of professional wrestling madness as storylines no longer made sense, with the curtain frequently pulled back to expose pro wrestling in a way that was heresy to many longtime fans.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
24 July 2025
Verb
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The school plans to kick off the upcoming high school football season with the new seating, which replaced crumbling concrete bleachers that were estimated at roughly 50 years old.—
Katie Nixon,
The Tennessean,
25 July 2025
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But a crumbling park does far more to make international visitors feel unwelcome than a surcharge ever could.—
Tate Watkins,
Chicago Tribune,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Regress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regress. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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