as in relapse
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Recent Examples of atavism
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
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
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
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
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
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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Prescribers also have to contend with a lack of information about the long term effects of GLP-1 usage, which becomes especially dangerous when a return to form doesn’t just include weight loss but a possible relapse to life-threatening substance abuse.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
27 Mar. 2026
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Studies show that adults with anxiety and untreated ADHD suffer greater functional impairment and more frequent relapses, meaning their severe anxiety or depressive episodes keep returning despite therapy or medication.—
Deldhy Nicolás Moya Sánchez,
The Conversation,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There were some standout dishes, and some that needed work, but the space itself was stunning and worth a return visit.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Like Apollo 13 — astronauts’ only moon landing miss — Artemis II will use a free-return, lunar flyby trajectory to get home with gravity’s tug and a minimum of gas.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Approaches such as momentum trading, mean reversion, and hedging can be applied.—
Felysha Walker,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
-
What once looked like a high-margin growth story is now at risk of becoming a margin reversion story.—
Tony Zhang,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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On Sunday, Glenn announced Smith would be the team’s starting quarterback despite a significant regression from his previous years with the Seahawks.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
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However, Ivey saw a regression in his production this year, primarily playing off the bench for the Pistons before the trade.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The disagreement has left the two chambers at an impasse, with neither proposal able to pass both the House and Senate, prolonging the funding lapse and its effects on airport security staffing and operations.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Does car insurance get more expensive after a lapse in coverage?—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This book is all about the fight to stem the tide of retrogression.—
Ken Makin,
Christian Science Monitor,
19 Nov. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Atavism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atavism. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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