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
-
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
-
By evening, disruptive Uranus enters your 12th House of Secrets and Solitude, stirring dreams, memories, and subconscious patterns.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
But sometimes there are things that enter from the subconscious.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
While most talk shows involve celebrities sitting on a sofa to promote their latest project, the approach by Grylls is a bit more visceral.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
-
In Aries, this visceral energy takes on a more impulsive, reactive vibe, inspiring the urge to act on a vision without fully seeing it through.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 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
-
In the year since, both women have appeared to send subliminal messages about each other via their social media, but neither has outwardly dissed the other until this week, keeping it mostly professional.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
-
As a child raised amid war and displacement, uncertainty and subliminal anxiety felt natural to me.—
Mehrnoush Soroush,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Arvind showed wool blends and dye solutions including new yellow and red reactive dye.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Above 600 tends to trap heat and compromise airflow — the opposite of what reactive skin needs.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
He was found lying unconscious near the elevator, at which time Andrew called 911.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
On 11 April, Farès was found unconscious in a gym swimming pool at the private sports complex of Blanche in Paris.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Frankly, both had done enough to merit promotion — but EFL begrudgingly grants just one automatic place to the National League, and another via a round of play-offs.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, bought a Maverick 12-gauge pump-action shotgun from Turner’s Outdoorsman in Torrance in August 2025 and an Armscor semi-automatic pistol from CAP Tactical Firearms in Lawndale in October 2023, the profile shows.—
Myles Miller,
Bloomberg,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pavlovian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pavlovian. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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