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
Under stress, however, your body naturally shifts into the nervous system’s sympathetic or fight-or-flight mode, driving faster, shallower breaths from the upper chest.
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Dana Santas, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
The relationship puts me in a perpetual state of fight-or-flight.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 2 July 2025
What happens in your body when you’re stressed vs. anxious
When you’re stressed, your body kicks into fight-or-flight mode.
—Lauryn Higgins, Time, 26 June 2025
In situations such as receiving critical feedback or navigating interpersonal conflict, the brain may default to a threat state, triggering physiological and cognitive responses akin to fight-or-flight.
—Andriana Eliadis, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fight-or-flight
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Dana Santas, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
The relationship puts me in a perpetual state of fight-or-flight.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 2 July 2025
What happens in your body when you’re stressed vs. anxious
When you’re stressed, your body kicks into fight-or-flight mode.
—Lauryn Higgins, Time, 26 June 2025
In situations such as receiving critical feedback or navigating interpersonal conflict, the brain may default to a threat state, triggering physiological and cognitive responses akin to fight-or-flight.
—Andriana Eliadis, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
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 18 Jul. 2025.
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