regress
noun
re·gress
| \ ˈrē-ˌgres
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Definition of regress
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: an act or the privilege of going or coming back
b
: reentry sense 1
2
: movement backward to a previous and especially worse or more primitive state or condition
3
: the act of reasoning backward
regress
verb
re·gress
| \ ri-ˈgres
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regressed;
regressing;
regresses
Definition of regress (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
: to make or undergo regress : retrograde
b
: to be subject to or exhibit regression
2
: to tend to approach or revert to a mean
: to induce a state of psychological regression in
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Other Words from regress
Verb
regressor
\ ri-ˈgre-sər
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noun
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noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for regress
Synonyms: Verb
Antonyms: Verb
advance, develop, evolve, progress
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Examples of regress in a Sentence
Verb
The patient is regressing to a childlike state. in extreme circumstances, people sometimes regress to the behavior they exhibited in childhoodRecent Examples on the Web: Noun
Even if the Giants’ offense regresses, fans should be encouraged by the performances of veterans who have a better chance of maintaining their success. — Kerry Crowley, The Mercury News, "What will it take for the Giants to keep this hot streak going?," 17 July 2019 Despite Carlson's seemingly amicable regress, and her costars' continued support, Estes admits the adjustment wasn't easy. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "'Blue Bloods' Star Will Estes Opens Up About Amy Carlson's 'Shocking' Exit," 6 Oct. 2018 Yet if Keenum regresses, starts committing turnovers or can't consistently lead scoring drives, the Broncos will find themselves in the quarterback market again. — Lindsay H. Jones, USA TODAY, "Broncos training camp questions: Is Case Keenum long-term answer at QB?," 28 June 2018 By making Elastigirl no more than an extension of her family, Incredibles 2 regresses to a time when any power women managed to acquire was carefully controlled so as not constitute a threat to the male order. — Andrea Thompson, Chicago Reader, "Incredibles 2 : Who’s afraid of the superpowered woman?," 29 June 2018 There would be a possible upset scenario if Good Magic improves and Justify regresses. — Joe Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, "In Preakness, the coast looks clear for Justify," 17 May 2018 Even if Drew Brees regresses or gets hurt, the running game can carry the offense. — Steven Ruiz, For The Win, "Picking the 2018 win total over/under for all 32 NFL teams," 1 May 2018 There’s also something stunted about Anderson’s eternal regress to age twelve. — Christian Lorentzen, The New Republic, "The earnest, ironic stylings of Wes Anderson’s “Isle of Dogs”," 21 Mar. 2018 Venezuela remains the most dramatic case of democratic regress in Latin America. — The Economist, "BelloHow Venezuela tests Latin America’s commitment to democracy," 1 Mar. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Kentucky has regressed big-time thanks to severe personnel losses . — Christopher Smith, al, "Week 2 SEC football betting preview," 7 Sep. 2019 After trading their top three relievers at the July 31 trade deadline, the Marlins bullpen has naturally regressed over the past month. — Wells Dusenbury, sun-sentinel.com, "Since trade deadline, Marlins’ bullpen has been worst in the league; ‘Reinforcements’ on the way," 25 Aug. 2019 A day after being named the leader in the Dolphins quarterback competition by coach Brian Flores, Fitzpatrick regressed in Wednesday’s practice. — Safid Deen, sun-sentinel.com, "Dolphins training camp Day 6: Stock up, stock down and other observations," 31 July 2019 The nation has progressed forward, and regressed grievously, in fits and spasms on an epic scale. — Christopher Ketcham, Harper's magazine, "A Play with No End," 22 July 2019 For some reason — possibly the departure of dynamic wide receivers John Ross after 2016 and Dante Pettis after 2017 — Browning’s production regressed during his last two seasons. — Los Angeles Times, "College Football 2019: Chris Petersen fulfill promise to fix Washington’s offense?," 9 Aug. 2019 There are other reasons why Mariota has regressed during the past two seasons, but as the star quarterback, much of blame will be placed on him if the Titans struggle in 2019. — oregonlive.com, "Is Marcus Mariota’s future in doubt? 10 questions for the Tennessee Titans as training camp opens," 30 July 2019 The Cubs went on to win the World Series but have slowly regressed, making Maddon’s status uncertain past this season. — Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, "Jeff Samardzija loves old-school managers. So he’s savoring his last season with retiring Giants skipper Bruce Bochy.," 22 July 2019 Safety Byron Jones regressed last season, and the Cowboys have the option of moving Chidobe Awuzie from cornerback to safety. — Drew Davison, star-telegram, "Senior Bowl provides elite view of NFL prospects for Dallas Cowboys," 22 Jan. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'regress.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for regress
regress
verb
English Language Learners Definition of regress
technical
: to return to an earlier and usually worse or less developed condition or state
See the full definition for regress in the English Language Learners Dictionary
regress
intransitive verb
re·gress
| \ ri-ˈgres
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