atavism
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His atavism came with the weekend’s most polish.
From Slate • May 30, 2023
They pick up a female Native American auto mechanic along the way, but her survival smarts, and her ethics, run up against the increasing atavism they encounter.
From New York Times • Aug. 9, 2018
In movies, food is rarely just food — it is a way of signaling obsession and atavism, consumption and desire.
From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2018
Kid jurisprudence works the same way: it’s an atavism.
From The New Yorker • Mar. 21, 2016
As if it came from an atavism deeper than fear, I used to add “brother” silently to boys’ names.
From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston
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From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.