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
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
The jokes — good, bad and cheap — come non-stop in then show’s 90 minutes, and are filled and sometimes pummeled with pop culture and brand-name references, puns, anachronistic humor, and naughty bits.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 13 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
But Trump’s decision to take over the center was a statement less about its anachronistic reputation and more about the president’s conception of his own power.
—Jonathan L. Fischer, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
At least one Supreme Court justice has openly criticized the exemption as anachronistic and has voiced a position that suggested the court might seize on the opportunity to end the exemption.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2026
The jokes — good, bad and cheap — come non-stop in then show’s 90 minutes, and are filled and sometimes pummeled with pop culture and brand-name references, puns, anachronistic humor, and naughty bits.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 13 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
But Trump’s decision to take over the center was a statement less about its anachronistic reputation and more about the president’s conception of his own power.
—Jonathan L. Fischer, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
At least one Supreme Court justice has openly criticized the exemption as anachronistic and has voiced a position that suggested the court might seize on the opportunity to end the exemption.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anachronistic
Adjective
-
Crucially, this is not an argument that campuses are obsolete.—
Ian Gibson,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Longtime breakfast staples like oatmeal and potatoes, which could take hours to prepare and cook, were suddenly obsolete.—
Heather Bushman,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The report revealed antiquated systems and policies dating back decades that prevent the city's Department of Finance from tracking and collecting all of the money owed.—
Dorothy Tucker,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The hospitals struggled over the years under the company with inadequate staffing and antiquated equipment.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Last week, brother-and-sister owners Eric Paden and Milisa Barrett posted a Facebook video of themselves unlocking the door of their restaurant’s new home, a vintage building on Locust Street.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Grab lunch at Goose Feathers Café, then spend the afternoon browsing Broughton Street for local boutiques, vintage shops and Leopold’s Ice Cream, open since 1919.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported two separate Israeli strikes on two vehicles, one in the seafront town of Saadiyat and another on a coastal highway in neighboring Jiyeh, around 12 miles south of Beirut and outside Hezbollah's traditional strongholds.—
Tucker Reals,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Last December, the airline launched service between Van Nuys Airport (VNY) in Los Angeles and Kahului Airport (OGG) in Maui, offering a semi-private experience that sits somewhere between commercial first class and a traditional private jet.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Students walk past paintings of historical scenes that include Betsy Ross sewing an American flag and down hallways lined with portraits of the Founding Fathers.—
Lauren Lumpkin,
Washington Post,
20 Apr. 2026
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As the study authors stated, the historical sources on the Roman Empire typically don’t include information about the provinces far from the capital.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called on Iran and the United States to keep their commitment to maintain a ceasefire, after both countries ended historic face-to-face talks without an agreement.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
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The astronauts snapped thousands of photos during their historic pass around the moon, shot video and recorded their personal observations to give researchers insights based on the color sensitivity of the human eye.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anachronistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anachronistic. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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