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
-
These moms told open, honest and raw stories of abuse, trauma, substance use, recovery, relapse and motherhood.—
Karli Swenson,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
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Due to difficulties finding a suitable donor [for the transplant], Caitlin suffered an abnormal relapse and the cancer returned to her skin.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Musiala often operates in advanced central positions, giving him multiple routes to fantasy returns.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
My wife goes into the kitchen and returns with beer, fruit, and a few simple dishes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
That means MiniPlasma was the result of a regression or an incomplete patch in its initial form.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
-
About intermittent success, too, followed by inevitable regression in the only game the United States takes seriously yet cannot seem to conquer the world in.—
Leander Schaerlaeckens
June 8,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
That extension is set to lapse on June 12, and without Democratic support for another deal, Johnson will have a difficult path in getting an extension passed on the House floor given opposition from GOP hard-liners.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
8 June 2026
-
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, set to lapse June 12, allows agencies including the CIA, National Security Agency and FBI to collect communications from foreign targets overseas without a warrant.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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 15 Jun. 2026.
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