as in automatic
done instantly and without conscious thought or decision
the birds' instinctual response is to fly away when startled
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinctual
Adjective
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Lola Jones, Hillsdale softball: Jones pitched the final eight innings of Hillsdale’s nine-inning 2-1 win over Aragon, conceding only an automatic runner in the ninth and striking out seven.—
Christian Babcock,
Mercury News,
13 May 2025 -
Healthcare providers can offer automatic payment plans as an alternative to allowing unpaid invoices to accumulate and sending patients to collections.—
Samad Syed,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2025
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The company's debut product, an all-black keyboard with no key labels, put mechanical keyboards on the radar of computer geeks and general consumers alike.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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Game 5 was the summation of his work in the dunker spot with his instinctive cutting.—
Hunter Patterson,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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That’s the paradox of conflict — our most instinctive reactions are often misinterpreted.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But ultimately, the week ended with a pretty good array of extremes in selling pressure and hedging demand of the sort that should turn the risk-reward more favorable for a reflex bounce before too long.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
5 Apr. 2025
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The reflex reaction would be to suggest that without Stiller and Goretzka, Germany lost control in midfield.—
Manuel Veth,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Pockets of time when most parents are homebound are now ripe for spontaneous hangouts, especially because their kids can entertain one another.—
Rhaina Cohen,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2025
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But most mutations are acquired — from lifestyle, environmental exposures, or spontaneous errors during cell division.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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Home in foreclosure, a mobile mechanic Online records show that his Canby Street home was in foreclosure last year and sold in September for $60,000.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
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In the footage, a large coastal carpet python rests on a mechanic shop's floor.—
Kelli Bender,
People.com,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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That film showed a world where people stayed home while sending robotic versions of themselves out to live their lives.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
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For its latest trick, Imagineering will attempt to resurrect a life of sorts, that is to fully animate a highly accurate robotic creation of one of the most recognizable figures of the 20th century, Walt Disney himself.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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The band’s message may have got slightly lost, however, amid their acid-trip screen visuals, military drag, and the climactic near-naked reveals, not to mention the sudden appearance of a rocket-straddling Vladimir Lenin impersonator who looked more like the Smurfs’ arch-nemesis Gargamel.—
Nick Allen,
Vulture,
13 May 2025
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In practical terms, a sudden revocation of a nonprofit’s status would instantly derail PSLF credit for its employees through no fault of their own.—
Shahar Ziv,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Instinctual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinctual. Accessed 17 May. 2025.
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