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
-
An investigational dementia drug may also ease alcohol withdrawal by calming the brain inflammation linked to addiction and relapse.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2026
-
For the first year after treatment, Lola will return monthly for lab work and monitoring to ensure there are no signs of relapse.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
Governance reforms, rising shareholder returns, accelerating share buybacks and the unwinding of cross-shareholdings are helping improve capital efficiency, while the return of inflation after decades of stagnation is boosting nominal earnings growth.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
-
There's a lot to do here at this Palace that warrants a return visit to this mountain getaway.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The investor noted that dispersion in semiconductor stocks should force some mean reversion.—
Liz Napolitano,Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
The undercover officer then used age-regression software to send a photo of herself.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
28 May 2026
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There was bound to be some regression, and shoved into a closer’s role after the injury to Estevez, there was likely to be some exposure, too.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
27 May 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
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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 9 Jun. 2026.
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