1
as in reverted
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deteriorated
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
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Recent Examples of regressed
But Tremble is entering the final year of his deal, and Sanders’ numbers regressed mightily from his 2024 season.
—
Mike Kaye
january 12, Charlotte Observer, 12 Jan. 2026
That projection is based on the player’s performance in each metric over the last three seasons (five for goalies), weighted for recency where more recent seasons carry more significance and regressed to the mean.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
One of the reasons for their regression was Monken’s unit also regressed.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
The team regressed greatly at quarterback, and the defensive front seven didn’t deliver until late in the season.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
Joey Aguilar has been a solid replacement for Nico Iamaleava, but the defense has regressed and the inability to beat the elite in the SEC likely will cost them.
—Erick Smith, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
After a promising 2023 campaign which saw Triston Casas mash 24 home runs and look like the Red Sox's first baseman of the future, the 25-year-old seems to have heavily regressed and has missed most of the past two seasons due to injury.
—Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
Africa’s democracy index score has regressed recently, shrinking each of the past six years, pointing at voter dissatisfaction and weakening institutions.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Here’s a look at the areas where Tagovailoa has regressed.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regressed
Verb
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The Greatest Story Never Told, which will draw from Lucille's autobiography, Love, Lucy, as well as Desi's A Book, both of which have had rights reverted back to the estates.—
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Initially ceded to California to be its official first state park, Yosemite reverted back to federal control in 1906.—
Verb
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At the time, Denver’s Landmark Preservation office told the Denver Gazette that the old neon was too deteriorated to restore.—
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The already-frosty relationship between Devers and the front office deteriorated to an irreparable level in May, when Triston Casas suffered a season-ending knee injury.—
Verb
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Barton will have to wait another month to receive his sentence for the six guilty counts the jury returned on charges of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety to football broadcasters Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, and TV and radio host Jeremy Vine.—
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Thomas returned the ball 10 yards to the Syracuse 23-yard line.—
Verb
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The backlash could’ve worsened the casualties in the nine-year war.—
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The immense costs associated with the program have only worsened the economic situation, leading to a more stifling environment.—
Verb
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Oil prices crumbled again a year later, sending Venezuela into economic calamity, with hyperinflation and mass migration out of the country.—
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Though both sides reached a settlement in November, the conflict was an ugly sign of how solidarity between these organizations crumbled in an attempt to persevere.—
Verb
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The radical republic that replaced it bore little resemblance to the partner of 1778, having descended into chaos, executions, and ideological extremism that threatened neighboring states.—
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Middle East efforts In Bulgaria, Mladenov held the position of defense minister for a year, before serving as foreign minister from 2010-13, during the uprisings in the Middle East known as the Arab Spring when Syria also descended into civil war.—
Verb
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Since the mandate, neural tube defects have dramatically declined in almost every single ethnic population except for Latinos, according to Jaffery.—
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Wiener declined to answer the question in either direction.—
Cite this Entry
“Regressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regressed. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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