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
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
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
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
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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Even when children are cured, there can be side effects from the treatment, and the possibility of a relapse is always lurking.—
Kate Bilo,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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Health officials in Senegal interviewed for this story worry that this kind of relapse is happening more broadly.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Baltimore returns stars Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers, Derrick Henry, Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
The hydration breaks boost their return on the investment.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2026
Noun
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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.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
9 June 2026
-
For those who are purely rate-motivated, the near-term outlook doesn't offer much relief: the Fed's rate path implies a gradual, modest decline in mortgage rates, not a reversion to pandemic-era levels.—
Jason Kirsch,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
The bureaucratic coldness of Bolshevik Communism and the violent regressions of Fascism were yet worse.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
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Much of that time was spent on manual reverse engineering, boilerplate reconstruction, test creation and regression stabilization.—
Fabio Caversan,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
What happens if my work authorization lapses?—
Monica Rodriguez-Aguilera,
New York Daily News,
15 June 2026
-
The Brennan Center's Goitein said the law makes clear that the program's existing certifications and directives remain in force until their expiration date, regardless of whether Section 702 lapses.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Noun
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What Happens Next Looking ahead, the State Department is clear: further retrogression or even category closures are possible later this fiscal year if demand continues to increase.—
Sam Stevenson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2026
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This book is all about the fight to stem the tide of retrogression.—
Ken Makin,
Christian Science Monitor,
19 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atavism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atavism. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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