variants
also anachronic
as in obsolete
belonging to an earlier time period
The fashions that were all the rage just five years ago seem like anachronistic leftovers today.
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Recent Examples of anachronistic
More screen time is given over to her burgeoning friendship with firebrand suffragette Mary, played by singer Lily Allen in a deliberately anachronistic performance — her forthright speech and manner beamed in directly from the 21st century.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 3 June 2026
And then there is a gory massacre scene from the original Camp Miasma, in which Little Death (played by TV Glow‘s Jack Haven) slaughters dozens of unlucky campers to a highly unusual, anachronistic hit song from the 1990s.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2026
Be sure to stop by the concession stand and stock up on liquids before sitting down to watch Rupert Wyatt’s anachronistic swords-and-sandals epic set, as the opening graphics inform us, 1,500 years ago in Arabia.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Reemerging at a time when indie-rock and alt-country are mingling to substantial success and when slick, young Americana stars fill stadiums, top mainstream charts, and release data-dumps worth of material, Souled American sounds defiantly anachronistic.
—Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2026
There were other jarring, anachronistic details in the vignettes.
—Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
Set inside a suspiciously anachronistic Dallas-area shopping mall, this recent SXSW premiere follows a quartet of young women working and worshipping at Free Eden.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
Until the 20th century, seats in the House of Lords were mostly inherited — which began to look anachronistic in a modern democracy.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 21 Mar. 2026
In that sense, our business is anachronistic, but fortunately remains very viable.
—Emily M. Olson, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
Guy Lodge, Variety, 3 June 2026
And then there is a gory massacre scene from the original Camp Miasma, in which Little Death (played by TV Glow‘s Jack Haven) slaughters dozens of unlucky campers to a highly unusual, anachronistic hit song from the 1990s.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2026
Be sure to stop by the concession stand and stock up on liquids before sitting down to watch Rupert Wyatt’s anachronistic swords-and-sandals epic set, as the opening graphics inform us, 1,500 years ago in Arabia.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Reemerging at a time when indie-rock and alt-country are mingling to substantial success and when slick, young Americana stars fill stadiums, top mainstream charts, and release data-dumps worth of material, Souled American sounds defiantly anachronistic.
—Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2026
There were other jarring, anachronistic details in the vignettes.
—Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
Set inside a suspiciously anachronistic Dallas-area shopping mall, this recent SXSW premiere follows a quartet of young women working and worshipping at Free Eden.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
Until the 20th century, seats in the House of Lords were mostly inherited — which began to look anachronistic in a modern democracy.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 21 Mar. 2026
In that sense, our business is anachronistic, but fortunately remains very viable.
—Emily M. Olson, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anachronistic
Adjective
-
If unethical actors can deploy custom frontier AI models to aggressively interrogate smart contracts and find hidden protocol flaws, human-only defensive audits will be rendered obsolete.—
Sean Stein Smith,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Now, new clean technology, known as direct reduction, is fast replacing the old, obsolete blast furnaces that have been polluting our community for more than 100 years.—
Lori Latham,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Wood beam ceilings and rustic red tile floors adorn almost every room, while the furnishings rely on simple silhouettes and an earthy color palette to blend with the pastoral surroundings without feeling antiquated.—
Lauren Arzbaecher,
Architectural Digest,
12 June 2026
-
While that edict seems antiquated with the realities of the House settlement, the settlement doesn’t nullify or supersede appellate precedent.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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The vintage dessert is kind of like if a coffee cake and a blueberry crisp had a baby.—
Ella Field,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 June 2026
-
People could also try classic tabletop games from decades ago, brought by a person who specializes in vintage games.—
Karie Angell Luc,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
The States has never been a traditional soccer-loving country, but Tuesday’s turnout provided more evidence there is a committed and passionate fanbase there.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
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Guests can choose from traditional rooms or spacious one- or two-bedroom suites, some of which have balconies and two-way gas fireplaces.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
As opposed to tragedy’s narrative arc of historical fate, tragicomedy unfolds in an infinite present.—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Liberal clergy abandoned certain tenets of Christian orthodoxy—the Virgin Birth, Christ’s miracles—for a more literary and historical approach to the Bible.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
Metal barricades surrounded Madison Square Garden and police checkpoints were up around Penn Station as city officials scrambled to prevent a repeat of Wednesday night’s chaos, when dozens of fans were taken into custody after the Knicks’ historic comeback.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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Smith helped catalyze the 49ers’ historic turnaround during his rookie season in 2011 thanks to his ability to disrupt quarterbacks.—
Michael McGough,
Sacbee.com,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anachronistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anachronistic. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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