Definition of retrogressnext
as in to revert
to go back to a previous and usually lower state or level the quality of research at the university lab has begun to retrogress since the massive budget cuts went into effect

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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 retrogress This annual limit, and the intense global demand has created significant back logs, particularly for applicants from India and China, whose EB-2 priority dates have continually retrogressed. — Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 3 Jan. 2026 After the 1960s, after the switch in—the shift in the strategy to gaining political clout, a lot of those trends stalled, slowed, even retrogressed. — WSJ, 3 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retrogress
Verb
  • If performance reverted as soon as the executive left, the transformation was never complete.
    — Rob Versaw, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Airlines can revert some Maxes to the older software version.
    — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Teams will inspect returning stages and prepare them for refurbishment before subsequent missions.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Leavitt stepped down in August, shortly after returning from maternity leave.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Retrogress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retrogress. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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