as in reflex
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
For its viewing audience, tuning in would eventually become a kind of Pavlovian response to breaking news — and to anything major unfolding anywhere in the world.
—Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 4 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
For its viewing audience, tuning in would eventually become a kind of Pavlovian response to breaking news — and to anything major unfolding anywhere in the world.
—Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 4 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 Sensor Coordinates the Action If the battery is the heart of the electric bike, sensors are the nerve tissues of the spinal cord that coordinate the reflex actions of the motor.—
Stephanie Pearson,
Wired News,
8 Aug. 2025
-
These habits become reflex rather than top-down mandates.—
Khristian Gutierrez,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
Adjective
-
Or at least that my subconscious remembers knowing.—
Brienne Walsh,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
-
They aren’t intended to be noticed so much as felt, to create subconscious links in your mind between a character or object’s poses so that your brain doesn’t question their movement.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But the ones that hit can cut through the noise and hype of SDCC by providing fans with a visceral, direct connection to their fandom.—
Rob Salkowitz,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Now, there are obviously visceral and terrible things about all cultures, all cultures come with good and bad, but culture cannot be inherently bad.—
Rachel Elspeth Gross,
Forbes.com,
3 Aug. 2025
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
-
Is the show of regret a conditioned response associated with receiving a less severe punishment?—
Charlotte Hu,
Discover Magazine,
31 July 2011
Adjective
-
Is this just a fun music video or subliminal mind prep for an upcoming era?—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Drake and Lamar's feud has been brewing for years and several subliminal comments have been made between the two via songs dating as far back as 2013.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
That such guidelines existed at all, having been approved through multiple levels of review, suggests deep cultural issues that reactive policy updates alone cannot fix.—
Douglas B. Laney,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
-
Fulham’s fanbase don’t come across as a reactive, provocative bunch, but in the worst-case scenario of Muniz leaving and new signings still not forthcoming, their patience would be tested.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Yonah described how the girls were floating unconscious in the water, their life jackets keeping them afloat, as their father—who does not know how to swim—scraped up his hands, feet and back trying to save them.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
14 Aug. 2025
-
But before everything hits the fan, Nate is found unconscious, and suspicion is growing around who has committed this crime.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
At that point, benefits would be funded solely through incoming payroll taxes, triggering an automatic cut of around 21 percent unless Congress takes action.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Aug. 2025
-
The shift to a traditional automatic is a welcome retreat from old frustrations, the turbo’d engine is a step towards efficiency, and the cabin pivots firmly into the modern era.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
17 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pavlovian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pavlovian. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share