backsliding 1 of 2

adjective

as in unfaithful

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Dissimilar Words

backsliding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of backslide
as in relapsing

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for backsliding
  1. unfaithful
  2. relapsing
  3. secular
  4. lapsing
  5. sinful
  6. regressing
  7. worldly
  8. reverting
Adjective
  • When the braids had five or more strands, however, the disk possibilities proliferated, guaranteeing the matrices were all unfaithful.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
  • After so many years as the good guy, Klein is leaning into his dark side, taking on roles like the big bad Cicada on CW’s The Flash, and as JoAnna Garcia Swisher’s unfaithful ex-husband on the Netflix series Sweet Magnolias.
    — Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 9 July 2026
Definition of unfaithful
Verb
  • Shepard has also been open about relapsing over the years, most recently in 2020.
    — Emma Banks, PEOPLE, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Seek medical care for prolonged or relapsing watery diarrhea, and ask your provider to specifically request cyclospora testing, as it is not reliably detected on routine stool exams.
    — Joseph Hernandez August 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of relapsing
Adjective
  • Treasuries were more than a decade into a massive secular bull market as the '90s bubble inflated.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Sunita Viswanath, executive director of Hindus for Human Rights, said her group is one of 61 interfaith and secular organizations that signed an open letter protesting Saturday’s event.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of secular
Verb
  • But with La Liga’s champions now signing fellow England wide man Anthony Gordon from Newcastle, and Rashford’s £40million release clause for other teams lapsing last week, a new set of negotiations will be required for his exit.
    — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • The White House referred questions about the executive order lapsing to the Treasury Department.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
Definition of lapsing
Adjective
  • My prescribed low-carb, caffeine-free diet sounded horrifying on paper, but my sinful pleasures were replaced with a tasty, high-quality, and healthy alternative that left me more energized.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
  • Critics also have challenged the report’s characterization of cases involving women, contending these were consensual affairs that were sinful but not abusive.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 June 2026
Definition of sinful
Verb
  • The cumulative effect of regressing academically every summer means kids are starting off every school year in a deficit, as previously mentioned.
    — Sherri Gordon, Parents, 7 July 2026
  • But as Saturday’s play showed, things have a way of evening out, regressing to the mean.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2026
Definition of regressing
Adjective
  • Thai Buddhist temples often have icons of Hindu gods, such as Ganesha and Brahma, who are believed to grant these worldly wishes.
    — Brooke Schedneck, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026
  • If the Baby Einstein products were meant to introduce babies to high culture, from the music of Beethoven and Mozart to the art of da Vinci and van Gogh, many of the STEM board books seem to have more worldly goals.
    — Elise Broach, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of worldly
Verb
  • Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Marathon Petroleum, YTD Cyclical (or mean reverting) businesses look cheapest at the top as P/Es fall on record earnings.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The company’s chief software officer Wassym Bensaid said the halo wheels move driver functionality forward, rather than reverting back to buttons.
    — Greg Migliore, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of reverting
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.

Browse Nearby Words

backslides
backsliding
backs off
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Cite this Entry

“Backsliding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backsliding. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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