: readily predictable : automatic
knee-jerk reactions
also, disapproving
: reacting in a readily predictable way
The man was such a bleeding-heart knee-jerk liberal that you could predict the rest of the column after reading the first sentence. —
Andrew M. Greeley
Andrew M. Greeley
: an involuntary forward kick produced by a light blow on the tendon below the patella
Examples of knee-jerk in a Sentence
Adjective
a colleague known for her knee-jerk rejection of any proposal that she didn't originate
Recent Examples on the Web
Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
For many jacaranda lovers, the labor of preservation was a knee-jerk reaction, like shielding a child from a blow.
—Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2024
The thing that keeps you from just acting out on your initial knee jerk reaction and from just acting impulsively.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN, 24 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
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Adjective
Use discipline and planning and avoid emotional investing or knee-jerk reactions.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
For many jacaranda lovers, the labor of preservation was a knee-jerk reaction, like shielding a child from a blow.
—Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
Noun
Flynn’s suggestion to move the rowdy Southie parade downtown is a knee jerk reaction to appease the upscale yuppie families and other residents who have taken over the traditional working class Irish American neighborhood.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2024
The thing that keeps you from just acting out on your initial knee jerk reaction and from just acting impulsively.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN, 24 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Cite this Entry
“Knee-jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knee-jerk. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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