fossil

noun

Definition of fossilnext
as in conservative
a person with old-fashioned ideas some old fossil who thinks that a boy and a girl shouldn't be together unsupervised until they are engaged

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 fossil To understand Invictibellatrix, researchers first took a CT scan of the fossil to create a 3D model of that part of its skull. — Archie Clarke, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 Paleontologists have unearthed hundreds of microraptorine fossils from China, many of which are very well-preserved and offer detailed looks at these dinosaurs’ skeletons and feathers. — Jack Tamisiea, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2026 Leaning into its history, Kessler has outfitted the hotel with installations that channel the Jurassic period, including life size dinosaur skeletons and fossils, backlit in a range of bright colors, displayed throughout the walls. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Oct. 2026 Thus, FRBs are a metaphorical cosmic 'fossil record' blasting through space at light speed with the energy of a multitude of stars. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fossil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fossil
  1. conservative
  2. veteran
  3. fogy
  4. mossback
Noun
  • Brattin was a member of the Missouri Freedom Caucus, an outspoken group of conservatives whose disruptive and boisterous tactics defined Missouri politics for years.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
  • There are socialists, libertarians, progressives, and conservatives.
    — Jason Thurlkill, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of conservative
Noun
  • For wellness-minded readers, veterans and the parents of young athletes, how testosterone works has become more than a locker-room topic.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
  • According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Reaves would be at least the 235th military veteran executed nationwide in the modern era and the 14th veteran executed under DeSantis.
    — Gretchen Reynolds, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of veteran
Noun
  • There’s no old fogey-ness to Lorne.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2026
  • For the benefit of us old fogies?
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of fogy
Noun
  • This man performed in all of Shakespeare’s plays, Assumed all parts from mossbacks to boys young.
    — Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2019
Definition of mossback

Browse Nearby Words

fosses
fossil
fossilized
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fossil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fossil. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fossil

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fossil

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