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as in antique
something belonging to or surviving from an earlier period in my grandparents' attic are many "groovy" relics from the 1960s

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3
as in dinosaur
one that has passed the peak of effectiveness or popularity his courtly manners marked him as a relic of a more refined and formal era

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
as in remains
relics plural a dead body though it is believed that missionary died in New Guinea, his relics have never been found

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of relic Fishermen working off the coast of Taiwan long have dredged up the bones of ancient animals — elephants, water buffalo and hyenas — in their nets, relics of an ice age past when sea levels were lower and the ocean channel was a land bridge. Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025 No longer seen as disposable or a relic of a dying industry, these magazines are regarded as high-end products. Marisa Meltzer, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025 The Madden chair, a relic installed in 1966, five years after the ski area opened, is surrounded by orange ropes with signs that read: closed. Megan Michelson, Outside Online, 4 Apr. 2025 Perched on the edge of a cliff in Cundinamarca, Colombia, the Hotel Del Salto is a relic of the opulence and horrors of colonialism. Josh Rivera, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for relic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relic
Noun
  • Despite their rarity, the artifacts can help historians better understand and contextualize life in the region.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Vince Lombardi’s Steakhouse Inside the Hilton Appleton Paper Valley, this upscale hideaway pairs prime steaks and fresh seafood with Packers lore—think Lombardi-estate artifacts and rare memorabilia on the walls.
    Nasha Smith, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Kunst-a-bunt, an antiques shop in Prenzlauer Berg, is a great spot to dig up a quirky souvenir to take (or ship) home, like a lithograph or an old-timey egg cup.
    Valeriya Safronova, New York Times, 1 May 2025
  • In addition to its narrative function as a disguise that could help stop people from recognizing that the antiques guy is the same person snooping around in a shady part of the galaxy, Luthen’s wig is part of his character.
    James Grebey, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Subjects range from a dinosaur fossil dig in Central China, the opening of Cuba to American tourists, the new energy in Vienna and the best seafood spots on Canada’s Prince Edward Island to a luxury camp in Antarctica and the best new restaurant in New York.
    Laurie Werner, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
  • The landscapes, bracketed by Russia and China borderlines, have stories to tell, from the Steppe grasslands, where Chinggis Khaan (aka Genghis Khan) once rode, to the Gobi Desert, where arid landscapes belie subterranean layers rich in coal, gold, and dinosaur bones.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Two Italian regions particularly show evidence of these first traces.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Per a project summary, the team discovered caves filled with paintings and traces of hunter-gatherer settlements.
    Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Sun-soaked, punk rock ’70s California, a fraught family safari in Africa, a frustrated has-been and a digital future portrayed in a PowerPoint presentation show how disparate lives can affect each other.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Her being nominated for playing a grotesque has-been is, at the very least, a delicious irony.
    Tom Gliatto, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • They’ve been reduced to a pile of corpses, even young Constance.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
  • Durand’s stage presence is undeniable, even as a corpse spending half the show in an upright open coffin.
    Frank Rizzo, Variety, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • What to look for: The interior may contain remnants of an earlier house built on the site in the 1890s.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 May 2025
  • Nazar, 13, is on the long road to recovery with support from UNICEF and partners after being badly injured by an explosive remnant of war in eastern Ukraine.
    Sarah Ferguson, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In 2016, a sudden outbreak of anthrax in the Yamal Peninsula — linked to the thawed carcass of an infected reindeer — left dozens ill and killed a child.
    Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The team also recovered animal bones with cut marks and stone tools used to butcher carcasses from the site.
    Katie Hunt, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Relic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relic. Accessed 9 May. 2025.

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