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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When people were also treated with a long-acting form of an opioid-blocking medication called naltrexone, relapse rates dropped across all settings — to 59% after short-term inpatient care, 46% after long-term inpatient care and 38% for those treated as outpatients.—
Emma Fenske,
The Conversation,
12 Feb. 2026
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These illnesses rarely trap families in years-long cycles of stability, relapse, and decline.—
Coley Gallagher,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Nestle, which makes Guigoz in France and SMA in the UK, said Thursday that stock shortages and returns of some formula products would have a marginally negative impact on its sales volumes this year.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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Parents can open an account by filing IRS Form 4547 online or with their 2025 tax return.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For mean reversion traders, this post-volatility environment is a goldmine.—
Nishant Pant,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
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Watch for and prune out any reversions, which are individual shoots lacking variegation.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Next, using a statistical tool known as a Cox regression model, the researchers equalized the participants based on factors such as age, smoking status, BMI, physical activity, alcohol intake, depression, family history of dementia, medication use and more.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Feb. 2026
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Aulden’s periods of sleep regression also put Humphries in a difficult position.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The funding lapse will not affect nationwide ICE enforcement, border czar Tom Homan said.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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That said, there’s plenty about the series — which ran from 2003 to 2018 — that is very cringeworthy, represents major lapses of judgment and would never make it on the air today.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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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 22 Feb. 2026.
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