as in automatic
done instantly and without conscious thought or decision
a colleague known for her knee-jerk rejection of any proposal that she didn't originate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knee-jerk
Admittedly, my own knee-jerk reaction landed in this category.
—
Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
The SaaSpocalypse, ultimately, was a knee-jerk, existential reaction to where AI is (slowly, in many contexts) dragging the tech stack.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
That chapter explores a young punk’s knee-jerk rejection of pop music.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
So, no, not a knee-jerk reaction, but basically the awareness that there is nothing wrong with insurance.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
The SaaSpocalypse, ultimately, was a knee-jerk, existential reaction to where AI is (slowly, in many contexts) dragging the tech stack.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
That chapter explores a young punk’s knee-jerk rejection of pop music.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
So, no, not a knee-jerk reaction, but basically the awareness that there is nothing wrong with insurance.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knee-jerk
Adjective
-
Advanced safety technology — lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, collision warnings and more — all add to the cost of a vehicle.—
Alexa St. John,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
-
There’s like an automatic thing to it.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That reflex delays care and erodes trust.—
Liz Koch,
STAT,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The ten seconds that led to the Braylon Mullins’ miracle shot were a series of reflex plays, reactions, the ultimate in instincts taking over, living in the split second, rather than in the moment.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Driving through deep water can also affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Driving through deep water can also negatively affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Street artists and fortune-tellers set up here daily, creating a scene that feels spontaneous every time.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
-
With Venus and Uranus entering Gemini in your curious third house on April 24 and 25, sparks could fly through conversation, texts or spontaneous encounters.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The instinctive Moon conjoins responsible Saturn in your 11th House of Humanity, guiding your interactions with teams and allies.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Quiet reflection supports inner strength as the instinctive Moon moves through your 12th House of Fantasy and sextiles tender Chiron in your 2nd House of Materialism.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Seeing something on the moon, describing it, and composing a photograph from a very close distance is a different experience from viewing something from afar, or even seeing a close-up captured by a robotic camera.—
Rebecca Boyle,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
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Now, Zhang and his team have gone one step further and trained a Unitree Go2 robotic dog using a large language model via AI tool GPT-4 to question and respond to cues from the user and the environment.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Brave Mars is encouraging your intuitive sign, while its sextile to sudden Uranus in your 3rd House of Communication favors outreach.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In the behind-the-scenes footage, Sinise is seen angling himself under the hood of the car from the music video as Wilson gives cues about the natural placement of a mechanic working.—
Chris Barilla,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The scheme, which uses single-button presses to deploy impressive moves, appears easy to learn on the surface, but Quarter Up layered complexity through the tag mechanic and defensive options to create depth.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knee-jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knee-jerk. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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