as in automatic
done instantly and without conscious thought or decision
the instinctive reaction of a mother is to protect her children
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of instinctive
The instinctive Moon joins joyous Jupiter in your 5th House of Entertainment, inviting you to say yes to a hobby that sparks delight.
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Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026
All of it was evasion, an instinctive turning away from direct action on the things that matter.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Purple had long been used by her family to honor his life, and incorporating it into the bag felt instinctive.
—Mecca Pryor, Essence, 22 Dec. 2025
We are drawn by an instinctive pull towards belonging and connection.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instinctive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinctive
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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Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
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Products like tractors, sprayers, irrigation equipment, mechanical pickers and fertilizer will also be exempt from the tax with the new cards.—
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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Staff check in with you each morning and evening to tailor your day to your energy, mood, and goals, whether that's heli-fishing at dawn, a forest bathing session, or a spontaneous helicopter ride for a picnic on a glacier.—
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However, spontaneous and induced sleep promoted genome stability, suggesting that the evolution of sleep may have occurred to repair DNA damage and reduce cellular stress in simple nerve nets.—
Adjective
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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.—
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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.—
Adjective
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For example, China has tested a satellite with a robotic arm that can shift other satellites into a different orbit.—
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There were several such facilities at the time that were developing simulation centers with very sophisticated, six-figure robotic mannequins, on which training is done in low-stress environments for nurses, physicians and other healthcare providers.—
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.—
Cite this Entry
“Instinctive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinctive. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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