1. (

• backsliding ,
• lapse ,
• lapsing ,
• relapse ,
• relapsing ,
• reversion ,
• reverting

) a failure to maintain a higher state ;

1. (

• revert ,
• return ,
• retrovert ,
• regress ,
• turn_back

) go back to a previous state; "We reverted to the old rules" ;

2. (

• revert ,

) undergo reversion, as in a mutation ;

1. (

• returning ,
• reverting

) tending to return to an earlier state ;