as in deteriorates
to become worse or of less value
the Dark Ages, the period following the fall of the Roman Empire when Western civilization seriously retrograded
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Recent Examples of retrogrades
Then comes 11/11, the astro-numerological portal, and with it, Jupiter retrogrades into Cancer, your sector of wellness, service, and daily rituals.
—
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 9 Nov. 2025
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retrogrades
Verb
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Her condition rapidly deteriorates to the point where Abbott and Robby are forced to do a C-Section in the ER, with seconds to spare to save her life and the life of the baby.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
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Originally staged at Avignon in 2025, the play follows a father and daughter whose bond is tested across the vastness of space as one of them starts a new life on Mars while Earth deteriorates.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sloan allows that the next big test for local sports arrives as the 2026 FIFA World Cup descends upon North American for a 39-day residency.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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In the legend, Orpheus descends into the underworld in an attempt to rescue his lover, Eurydice.—
Jacob Wycoff,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The incompetence at every level worsens and only two incompetents have been removed.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
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Charlotte Water has asked customers to cut usage by about 3% to 5% to help protect the region’s supply and avoid stricter measures if the drought worsens.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Bears are looking for tax breaks and incentives, but all that will do the Bears no good if part of their fan support declines.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
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The lottery will also assign waitlist positions to the remaining students in tier 2 and below if a student declines the funding.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Like the impish anti-romance that crumbles around it, the movie’s twist is both transgressive enough to be pleased with itself and also rooted in a reality that refuses to be dismissed as a bad joke.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
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Loyalty, betrayal, illness and war all bear down on the group as the old order crumbles around them.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Volume 1 about a troubled pregnant woman who accepts an invite to a dinner party which degenerates into a bloody and demented nightmare.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retrogrades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retrogrades. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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