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
-
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
-
There was a reflex stop on a David Kämpf flash rebound in the second period.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Your subconscious may call the shots during the first quarter moon in Cancer.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
-
To really pick at this raw nerve, Menzies returns to narrate these passages from Frank’s book and taunt Jamie’s subconscious.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Satellite imagery turned the abstract threat into visceral geography — terrifying technicolor maps showed a deep purple bruise spreading over the South Pole.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Clueless to the format of the (very real) interview show (answering questions while eating ever-increasing spicy hot wings), Cherish’s exasperation, befuddlement, and visceral agony is a comic wonder to watch.—
Jennifer Silverman,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
As the protagonist Ben in Night of the Living Dead (1968), Duane Jones unveiled a distinct facet of pre-conditioned Black martyrdom.—
Malik Peay,
Rolling Stone,
7 Feb. 2023
-
The new formula is infused with a luscious blend of flower oils so that lashes feel conditioned and supple to the touch.—
Daisy Maldonado,
SELF,
13 Sep. 2022
Adjective
-
As a child raised amid war and displacement, uncertainty and subliminal anxiety felt natural to me.—
Mehrnoush Soroush,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
An imperfect but useful analogy might be subliminal messaging, but for AI.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Ultimately, these applications of AI enable finance to shift from a reactive function to a proactive function, Mittal adds.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Those efforts reflect a broader goal of shifting from reactive support to sustained community development.—
J.M. Banks
March 31,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Jose Guadalupe Ramos-Solano, a 52-year-old father and Los Angeles resident, died Wednesday, March 25 after being found unconscious and unresponsive inside the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, ICE officials stated in a news release.—
Ryanne Mena,
Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
One security officer was struck by the vehicle and briefly knocked unconscious but did not suffer life‑threatening injuries.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
With automatic runner Bo Bichette also aboard at second, Robert reached down and drove a 1-0 slider over the left-center fence for his first homer with the Mets.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
For many years now, that increase has been automatic based on growth in the national average wage index.—
Tom Margenau,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pavlovian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pavlovian. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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