RETOX means to return to toxic habits, especially drinking or unhealthy behaviors after a period of detoxing. This modern slang term plays off "detox," humorously describing the act of abandoning healthy resolutions. In Scrabble, RETOX scores 12 base points with its valuable X tile.
No. RETOX is not in the Scrabble-style word list used by our tools (proper nouns, abbreviations and most slang are excluded), so it cannot be played in Scrabble, Words With Friends or Wordfeud. If it were allowed, its tiles would add up to 12 points in Scrabble.
| Letter | R | E | T | O | X | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scrabble | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 12 |
| Words With Friends | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 12 |
| Wordfeud | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 12 |
RETOX represents a distinctly modern phenomenon—the deliberate return to unhealthy habits after a period of abstinence or "detoxing." Born from internet culture and social media, this portmanteau combines "re-" (again) with "tox" (from toxic/intoxicate), creating a cheeky counterpoint to the wellness industry's obsession with detoxification.
The word gained traction in the early 2010s as a humorous response to detox culture. After enduring juice cleanses, dry January, or strict diets, people would joke about "retoxing"—returning to wine, junk food, or other indulgences. Fashion magazines embraced the term, with headlines like "Time to Retox!" appearing after major holidays or wellness challenges.
RETOX embodies the cycle many experience with health resolutions. Someone might detox before a wedding, only to retox immediately after. The term acknowledges human nature's tendency to swing between extremes—from rigid self-control to gleeful abandonment. It's less about promoting unhealthy behavior and more about recognizing the humor in our predictable patterns.
"Retox" is a modern portmanteau formed from the prefix "re-" (meaning "again" or "back") combined with "tox" from "intoxicate" or "toxic." This playful neologism emerged in the early 2010s as a direct linguistic response to "detox."
Anagrams: no other word uses exactly the letters of RETOX.
Words inside RETOX: 19 shorter words can be made from these letters – highest scoring: OXTERREXEXOXROTETOREOREORTRETROEROTTOE. See all words from RETOX.