as in automatic
done instantly and without conscious thought or decision
the birds' instinctual response is to fly away when startled
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Recent Examples of instinctual
Zal also praised Zhao’s instinctual approach to filmmaking.
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Kennedy French, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
Ponds is a physical, instinctual playmaker who plays downhill like a safety in run support, and excels in man or zone coverage.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Collectively, love becomes more instinctual and self-led.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
When Mike sees Holly (Nell Fisher) take over his D&D table, his instinctual protectiveness, even jealousy, soon fades to pride.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Jan. 2026
Because this reaction is instinctual, training a dog to ignore small animals can be hard.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Emotions are often instinctual—fear, for instance, is triggered by threats to survival—and the accompanying sensations prepare the body physiologically to respond, to fight or flee.
—Literary Hub, 25 Nov. 2025
Cubs manager Craig Counsell used three main adjectives to describe the roster — athletic, experienced and instinctual — while empowering his coaching staff to draw out those strengths.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The Cowboys could make a strong case for adding an instinctual player in the second level of their defense, and Logan Wilson is one of the most public trade candidates on the market entering the deadline.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinctual
Adjective
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Membership is automatic for first-time guests who book a stay at rates running $3,000 to $5,000 a night for up to 10 people.—
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In 2024, some 45% of participants boosted 401(k) deferrals — on their own or as part of their plan’s automatic increases — according to Vanguard’s 2025 How America Saves report, which is based on more than 1,400 plans and nearly 5 million participants.—
Adjective
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Westbank will install completely new plumbing, electrical, mechanical, heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems, according to the sources.—
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Bidding and construction began in November So far, the building’s external structure is complete, with the installation of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems ongoing.—
Adjective
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The 6-foot, 195-pound versatile playmaker is instinctive, capable of quickly diagnosing layered route concepts, and will bait quarterbacks into making a mistake.—
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For Madhurima Chakraborty, attending the impromptu protest was instinctive in the wake of Midway Blitz.—
Adjective
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Or just a reflex mean-reversion trade in some laggard sectors at a time when the AI theme has become more fragmented and treacherous?—
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As a result, reflex time — a mechanic that emulated the slow-motion gunfights of Hard Boiled or The Matrix, or bullet time from Remedy’s Max Payne (2001) — would be a defining aspect of F.E.A.R.’s gameplay.—
Adjective
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Advances in facial robotics are moving beyond preprogrammed animations toward dynamic, spontaneous expressions, enabling robots to better communicate, build rapport, and integrate into human social environments.—
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Compared to the spontaneous, high-spirited, and witty heroines of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma, Fanny Price is a prig.—
Adjective
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Car lots, mechanic shops, and cafes line a forlorn stretch of Route 66 in central Amarillo, but vibrant art galleries, antique shops, restaurants, a bookstore, and record shop are concentrated in a lively 13-block strip of the famed highway west of the central business district.—
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In June 2020, the 72-year-old former police officer and mechanic pleaded guilty to 13 counts of first-degree murder and other crimes in order to avoid the death penalty.—
Adjective
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Since the world model is built around video understanding, advances in video AI directly translate into better robotic capabilities.—
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David, meanwhile, often comes across to colleagues as awkward and robotic.—
Adjective
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Other affected customers, like KHOU meteorologist Pat Calvin, noted how the sudden technological disconnect felt like the return of a bygone era.—
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No one is going to care about short-term interest rates if the dollar starts tanking or there is a sudden and widespread loss of confidence in the Fed’s ability to maintain inflation low and labor markets stable over the long-term.—
Cite this Entry
“Instinctual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinctual. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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