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2
as in antique
something belonging to or surviving from an earlier period in my grandparents' attic are many "groovy" relics from the 1960s

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3
as in dinosaur
one that has passed the peak of effectiveness or popularity his courtly manners marked him as a relic of a more refined and formal era

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
as in remains
relics plural a dead body though it is believed that missionary died in New Guinea, his relics have never been found

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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 relic In the Modern Age, players can command the Mexican civilization and fight over historic relics or other end-game goals with the Russians. Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025 Now supposedly dying from some terminal illness, Julian has gone total hermit mode inside of his cluttered London apartment, where the walls are festooned with the relics of his success and the backrooms are a junk pile of painful memories. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025 Many of these local gems are cozy relics that house unique pieces that evoke a sense of nostalgia, hold a coveted aesthetic or have historical significance. Olivia Lee, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2025 Not as purchases — but as relics. Sudhir Gupta, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for relic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relic
Noun
  • Its permanent collection includes more than 1,700 works of art, and the Price Gallery features over 300 artifacts.
    Gabi De la Rosa, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The question of which individual investor owns which share of which company is surprisingly murky, an artifact of arcane market plumbing made more difficult by the rise of ETFs and fractional share ownership.
    Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Across the series' 26 seasons, Wolfe has taken viewers on the road to buy and sell antiques and collectibles for his Antique Archeology business.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Kayleigh Davies, antiques specialist at Auctionet, told Newsweek that the best way to learn to authenticate luxury pens is to handle the genuine article.
    Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Internet users can't get enough of Rue's dinosaur-like appearance, leading to more than 1,700 comments on the viral TikTok post already.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
  • And 250 million years ago, extraordinary heat nearly killed off complex life in the high-CO2, end-Permian mass extinction known as the Great Dying, just before the rise of the dinosaurs.
    Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Finding the right green brought its own challenges as the team had to find a color that would not only neutralize redness, but also work on all skin tones—even people who didn’t have flushing or redness, blending into the skin without leaving Elphaba-like traces behind.
    Megan McIntyre, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • During that time, even microscopic traces of infected blood on a school desk or playground equipment can pose a risk.
    Kff Health News, Oc Register, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • And as alcoholic has-been Morris, Matthau was fantastically slovenly and cynical, an anti–role model for the ages.
    Tim Grierson, Vulture, 25 July 2025
  • Sonny strides onto the track with unruffled cool—a Pitt signature—and is laconic enough to endure a series of press conferences at which journalists are quick to label him a has-been.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • Michael Weser faces two counts of capital murder and charges of abuse of a corpse and arson in the killings of Denise Rhodes and Robyn DeSort, whose remains authorities found Sunday on land close to Weser's home, the release states.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Their investigation leads them to the rotting corpse of their old neighbor Patty Metzger (a great name for a character whose moniker will hang over the rest of the film), who disappeared years ago.
    Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The key to smooth, easy travel days is preparedness, and while society has undoubtedly come to rely heavily on technology over the last several years, some remnants of the past are still integral to your travels.
    Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Similarly, the mega-wide legs on fluid trousers and the patchwork on an overall style reflected the brand's commitment to upcycling remnants, a hallmark of its approach.
    Roxanne Robinson, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • However, officials said the officer did not find any bear carcasses or evidence of poaching.
    Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • During the tour, the group came across not just a whale carcass, but also a great white shark who'd made a rare excursion to the surface to feed on it.
    Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Relic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relic. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.

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