as in reflex
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Recent Examples of Pavlovian
When the needle finally drops, the effect is Pavlovian.
—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
25 July 2025
The result is a political Pavlovian response where even modest tax reforms come with a side of millionaire exodus think-pieces.
—
Andrew Leahey,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
The theme is the same Pavlovian ring tone as its dating show predecessor, but off-kilter — the Wario to Love Island’s Mario.
—
Olivia Crandall,
Vulture,
13 July 2025
The response was Pavlovian, the practice ingrained in her by her own mother, who spent much of her time pacifying her insecure and whiny husband.
—
Literary Hub,
9 July 2025
George Lucas’ 1977 space saga is pure Pavlovian pop rush and knows how to modernize creaky B-movie genre elements for maximum audience reaction.
—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2025
Drivers build lives around parking: the work shifts altered to align with the alternate-side-rotation hours, the keys always in the pocket, the Pavlovian alertness at the chirp of an unlocking car.
—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
After a decade, my body reacts in a Pavlovian way to its stimuli, the scroll of torsos, the dopamine of a red dot notification, a three-toned beep that perks you up in your chair.
—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them,
11 Feb. 2025
Alison Herman,
Variety,
25 July 2025
The result is a political Pavlovian response where even modest tax reforms come with a side of millionaire exodus think-pieces.
—
Andrew Leahey,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
The theme is the same Pavlovian ring tone as its dating show predecessor, but off-kilter — the Wario to Love Island’s Mario.
—
Olivia Crandall,
Vulture,
13 July 2025
The response was Pavlovian, the practice ingrained in her by her own mother, who spent much of her time pacifying her insecure and whiny husband.
—
Literary Hub,
9 July 2025
George Lucas’ 1977 space saga is pure Pavlovian pop rush and knows how to modernize creaky B-movie genre elements for maximum audience reaction.
—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2025
Drivers build lives around parking: the work shifts altered to align with the alternate-side-rotation hours, the keys always in the pocket, the Pavlovian alertness at the chirp of an unlocking car.
—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
After a decade, my body reacts in a Pavlovian way to its stimuli, the scroll of torsos, the dopamine of a red dot notification, a three-toned beep that perks you up in your chair.
—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them,
11 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Pavlovian
Adjective
-
As the session continues, Atlas’s movements appear increasingly fluid, suggesting the system is being evaluated not only for strength but also for agility, reflex response, and adaptive motor control.
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Wyle listened to the two women’s breathing and administered a reflex test on their knees.
Adjective
-
Any bias, subconscious or otherwise, is in the margins, and relates to decisions that could go either way.
-
Her Taurus moon also occupies her 12th house, an area of the birth chart associated with spirituality, secrecy and subconscious realms.
Adjective
-
The pressure to retreat to certainty was social, political and visceral.
-
Almost a visceral urge to answer criticism.
Adjective
-
Drop after drop after drop from the receivers and tight ends — all while Brandon Aiyuk continued to post subliminal messages on social media amid his feud with the 49ers.
-
When Kelli arrives to move into Shamea’s townhouse, the exchange is fraught with what feels like subliminal messages directed at Porsha.
Adjective
-
The plaintiffs allege Bio-Lab and the parent company, Kik LLC, had a history of chemical storage issues, and staff incorrectly tried to put out a water-reactive chemical reaction by adding water before the fire began, thereby causing the fire and toxic gas plume.
-
This shift views human variability as an opportunity, transforming accessibility from a reactive function into a strategic lens for understanding people and driving business growth.
Adjective
-
The moped passenger, who police said was struck by the truck’s rear wheel, can be seen on the video splayed out unconscious on the street.
-
Officers responding to the incident found an unconscious man lying on the sidewalk suffering from at least one gunshot wound.
Adjective
-
Beneath the charges for chicken and ribeye skewers, french fries and iced teas, the Town Center mall restaurant had added a 20% automatic gratuity and 3% service fee.
-
The bankruptcy court started with the simple observation that any time a bankruptcy case is commenced, an automatic stay goes into effect.
Adjective
-
Tailoring became lighter, proportions relaxed and layering more instinctive, creating wardrobes that feel versatile rather than prescriptive.
-
Marina, for her part, reacts to every new face and each fresh piece of information with an instinctive guardedness—and Garcia illuminates, with an almost sphinx-like half smile, the preternatural reserve of someone who’s grown up knowing not to expect too much from people.
Cite this Entry
“Pavlovian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pavlovian. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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