maladaptation

Definition of maladaptationnext

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of maladaptation Experts call this phenomenon maladaptation. Stephen Robert Miller, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2022 This maladaptation to lack of hip stability causes the knee to be unnaturally pinched between the upper leg and lower leg, precipitating damage and pain. Matt Fitzgerald, Outside Online, 20 Sep. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maladaptation
Noun
  • Tensions between Rian and Patrick flare when Rian drunkenly mentions a brief fling with Shiv, though the film’s clunky edit, which gives little room for the performances to breathe and play out organically within their contexts, makes these frictions feel stilted and juvenile.
    Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 22 May 2026
  • Her 15 months in the role were marked by friction with Trump sparked by her more libertarian leanings — her past opposition to war with Iran, for one, made for particularly awkward Hill testimony soon after the president entered the current conflict.
    Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 22 May 2026
Noun
  • Part of that discordance might be the fact that as a genre, rock has historically been difficult to define.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 19 Nov. 2025
  • The sport of off-roading suffers from a fundamental discordance: The desire to get out into nature and the irreparable harm inherent in the process of off-roading.
    Tim Stevens, ArsTechnica, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • Today, the entire country faces far too much discord.
    Steven D. Reske, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
  • After the meeting, in a sign of discord among the caucus, GOP leadership dropped plans to have a series of votes on a package that would fund immigration enforcement agencies within the Department of Homeland Security.
    Dan Mangan,Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 22 May 2026
Noun
  • Whether that agreement will rapidly come to fruition on such a tight timeline is looking increasingly difficult – especially amid disunity among House and Senate Democrats.
    Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
  • That could be good news for consumers, if OPEC disunity leads to higher supplies and falling prices.
    Amy Myers Jaffe, Washington Post, 16 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The diversity of hormone function, from milk to mood, hunger to height, does not occur through the action of any single part of our anatomy.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
  • For bottlenecked species whose numbers are so low that breeding carries a risk of inbreeding, making tiny tweaks to the DNA could create synthetic genetic diversity and expand the gene pool.
    Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026
Noun
  • During her weekslong trial, friends of Richinses described how the couple had moments of material strife and struggled with infidelity.
    Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 13 May 2026
  • After a season of strife, Owen and Teddy’s last moments on screen (for now, at least) mark a happy ending for the long-lasting couple.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 7 May 2026
Noun
  • As funding shrinks, communities in hard-to-reach regions, where immunizing children is more expensive to begin with, may inadvertently lose out, exacerbating existing health disparities.
    Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
  • Paxton has attempted to frame the financial disparity as evidence of his grassroots bona fides.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Noun
  • The Dodgers’ offense, in contrast to the Brewers’, didn’t record a hit off Brewers starter Logan Henderson until the fourth inning.
    Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026
  • In contrast, André Burakovsky and Artyom Levshunov stumbled through forgettable seasons.
    Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Maladaptation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maladaptation. Accessed 25 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster