fight-or-flight
adjective
: relating to, being, or causing physiological changes in the body (such as an increase in heart rate or dilation of bronchi) in response to stress
epinephrine is a fight-or-flight hormone
a fight-or-flight reaction
Examples of fight-or-flight in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Oxytocin shifts your body out of fight-or-flight mode.
—
Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 17 June 2026
The defense will argue Gormley went for the Taser, exposing its pistol grip and triggering a fight-or-flight response in Harrison, who believed his life was in danger, Winter told jurors.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
Stress Hormones Put Your Body in Fight-or-Flight Response The body's fight-or-flight response can affect the entire body, including your blood pressure.
—Angela Ryan Lee, Verywell Health, 11 June 2026
The sympathetic nervous system, colloquially known as fight-or-flight, releases hormones and engages nerves quickly and broadly; the parasympathetic nervous system, referred to as rest-and-digest, is slower and more targeted.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fight-or-flight
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.
Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 17 June 2026
The defense will argue Gormley went for the Taser, exposing its pistol grip and triggering a fight-or-flight response in Harrison, who believed his life was in danger, Winter told jurors.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
Stress Hormones Put Your Body in Fight-or-Flight Response The body's fight-or-flight response can affect the entire body, including your blood pressure.
—Angela Ryan Lee, Verywell Health, 11 June 2026
The sympathetic nervous system, colloquially known as fight-or-flight, releases hormones and engages nerves quickly and broadly; the parasympathetic nervous system, referred to as rest-and-digest, is slower and more targeted.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fight-or-flight
Cite this Entry
“Fight-or-flight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fight-or-flight. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
