as in relapse
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Recent Examples of atavism
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
This sumptuous piece of theatrical atavism bore little resemblance to the actual events of Mozart’s life, but most nonpurist musicians happily accepted the melodramatization; quite apart from the thespian pyrotechnics, the sophisticated choice of music was a revelation.
—Simon Callow, The New York Review of Books, 22 Dec. 2022
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
Obama crashed against a wall of atavism and paranoia.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 29 Jan. 2022
This gives his career an arc of atavism and abnegating tragedy, a willful artist hopelessly at the mercy of his obsessions.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2021
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
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
This sumptuous piece of theatrical atavism bore little resemblance to the actual events of Mozart’s life, but most nonpurist musicians happily accepted the melodramatization; quite apart from the thespian pyrotechnics, the sophisticated choice of music was a revelation.
—Simon Callow, The New York Review of Books, 22 Dec. 2022
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
Obama crashed against a wall of atavism and paranoia.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 29 Jan. 2022
This gives his career an arc of atavism and abnegating tragedy, a willful artist hopelessly at the mercy of his obsessions.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2021
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
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Young weaponizes addiction for profit, the insurance giant charges in a $40 million federal lawsuit, asserting that Young’s businesses cycled patients from one entity to another and encouraged relapse so that billing cycles could start anew.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
6 Nov. 2025
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Said to offer a level of care not currently available in any other local program, patients would be overseen by doctors and nurses who would oversee withdrawal management and therapy designed to prevent relapses.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
However, if the offer isn’t matched, the incumbent team receives no compensation in return.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Herro, who played off the bench in his return from a toe contusion in Tuesday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, returned to the starting lineup on Saturday in his second game back from injury.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Mean-reversion bubbles, by contrast, are fads that inflate and collapse without transforming the underlying industry.—
Brian Blank,
The Conversation,
29 Dec. 2025
-
Platinum--a key metal in catalytic converters--is also benefitting from the energy reversion trade.—
Kelly Evans,
CNBC,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
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One of the reasons for their regression was Monken’s unit also regressed.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Signs of Tagovailoa’s regression began to show in 2025.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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State officials say the program is a way to reduce costs, prevent medication lapses, and ease the burden on doctors, particularly in rural areas where clinicians are already stretched thin.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
-
When a team allots minutes to so many young players simultaneously, lapses in concentration and on-court mistakes are bound to happen.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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.—
Sam Silverman,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Does the Senate really want to put in office a secretary with zero medical training, who believes in raw milk and not in the extraordinary benefits of vaccinations, without asking him about such retrogression?—
Arthur House,
Hartford Courant,
22 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Atavism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atavism. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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