regress to

regress to (something)

1. To return to some earlier state or point of development. It's not uncommon for victims of such trauma to regress to a childlike state as an emotional defense mechanism. I try to keep a fairly neutral accent, but I regress to a real southern twang whenever I get nervous.2. To move or recede backward to some point. The ice on the lake began regressing to the shoreline as the temperatures continued to rise.3. To move from a more extreme position back toward the statistical mean. Random variables will almost always regress to the mean if you have a large enough sample size.See also: regress

regress to something

to go back to an earlier, probably simpler, state; to go back to a more primitive state. Bob claimed that Gerald's behavior was regressing to that of a three-year-old. I tend to regress to my college ways when I am out with the guys.See also: regress