as in relapse
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Recent Examples of atavism
Karp’s ideological atavism is all too typical of the current bent of Silicon Valley.
—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Such atavism couldn’t be further from Alexandre Estrela’s technological vision.
—
Pablo Larios,
Artforum,
10 June 2026
Their success depends on a careful combination of atavism and innovation.
—
David George Haskell,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
Millet plays with the title and with the idea of atavism, in which an ancient trait asserts itself by skipping forward a few generations to suddenly appear in the gene pool.
—
Heather Scott Partington,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Early on, these doctors-cum-criminal-profilers explained bad apples through theories such as atavism.
—
WIRED,
21 Feb. 2023
If learning and gentility are signs of civilization, perhaps our almost-big brains are straining against their residual atavism, struggling to expand.
—
Richard Granger,
Discover Magazine,
31 Oct. 2022
Is my interest in the moon some dormant atavism from a more primitive era of human life?
—
Matthew Gavin Frank,
Harper's Magazine,
21 Oct. 2022
Western elites believed that in the twenty-first century, cosmopolitanism and globalism would triumph over atavism and tribal loyalties.
—
Walter Russell Mead,
Foreign Affairs,
20 Jan. 2017
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Such atavism couldn’t be further from Alexandre Estrela’s technological vision.
—
Pablo Larios,
Artforum,
10 June 2026
Their success depends on a careful combination of atavism and innovation.
—
David George Haskell,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
Millet plays with the title and with the idea of atavism, in which an ancient trait asserts itself by skipping forward a few generations to suddenly appear in the gene pool.
—
Heather Scott Partington,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Early on, these doctors-cum-criminal-profilers explained bad apples through theories such as atavism.
—
WIRED,
21 Feb. 2023
If learning and gentility are signs of civilization, perhaps our almost-big brains are straining against their residual atavism, struggling to expand.
—
Richard Granger,
Discover Magazine,
31 Oct. 2022
Is my interest in the moon some dormant atavism from a more primitive era of human life?
—
Matthew Gavin Frank,
Harper's Magazine,
21 Oct. 2022
Western elites believed that in the twenty-first century, cosmopolitanism and globalism would triumph over atavism and tribal loyalties.
—
Walter Russell Mead,
Foreign Affairs,
20 Jan. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atavism
Noun
-
Winfrey blamed the incident, which occurred during Houston's final appearance on the talk show in 2009, on the singer's drug relapse.
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Even when children are cured, there can be side effects from the treatment, and the possibility of a relapse is always lurking.
Noun
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Even when Fried and Rodón return, both have injury histories that don’t inspire confidence.
-
Maiara Niehues extended her scoring streak to three games, and Sveindís Jónsdóttir scored in her return from injury to give Angel City FC a 2-0 win over the Orlando Pride on Friday night at BMO Stadium.
Noun
-
The tradwife trend is controversial in that it is seen by some as a rejection of feminism and a reversion to a seemingly simpler time.
-
No photos have been revealed yet for next year’s release, but the reversion to the name Super Freak suggests the original details should return as well.
Noun
-
Once a promising middle-of-the-order threat with the Cubs, Morel's offensive regression intensified in Miami, ending the experiment abruptly.
-
Bello’s regression this season has been shocking to behold, and his Jekyll and Hyde act when starting games versus coming out as a bulk reliever defies explanation.
Noun
-
Hillary Li, counsel with the Justice Action Center, filed the lawsuit on behalf of East Bay Sanctuary Covenant and the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, both of which serve DACA recipients who have faced delays and status lapses as clients.
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Meta has paused a controversial internal AI-training program after a security lapse exposed sensitive employee data—including private conversations, performance information, prompts, and activity logs—to workers across the company.
Noun
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This book is all about the fight to stem the tide of retrogression.
-
Visa retrogression might become more of an issue for Indian and Chinese applicants who invest under the high-unemployment category due to its more limited availability.
Cite this Entry
“Atavism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atavism. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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