Pavlovian

adjective

Definition of Pavloviannext
as in reflex

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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 Publications from the Times on down employ clickbait headlines that treat you like a starving rat in a Pavlovian experiment. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 O’Neill, who also has Pavlovian as a starter, named Cristian Torres to ride Robusta because Emisael Jaramillo had commitments at Santa Anita. — Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026 Having been in a couple of recent street fights in Derby qualifying races, Pavlovian looks to have a haymaker’s chance. — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2026 Why this is so is based on a number of factors, including official priorities, trade-offs, and what many suspect is Pavlovian manipulation. — New Atlas, 16 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Pavlovian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Pavlovian
  1. reflex
  2. subconscious
  3. visceral
  4. conditioned
  5. subliminal
  6. reactive
  7. unconscious
  8. automatic
Adjective
  • The reflex sell-off after Wednesday's Federal Reserve rate hike gave the S&P 500 a momentary test of 7500, which proved a timely shakeout.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Padmini smiled, though this appeared more reflex than friendliness.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of reflex
Adjective
  • But the fact that Celeborn doesn’t know about any of it, might be weighing heavily on her subconscious.
    — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The idea was kind of like zooming into her subconscious, into her imagination of a celebration.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of subconscious
Adjective
  • Suffice to say, however, that a neutral fan – and, given the size of the media markets directly involved, there are more of those than there have been in recent years – will likely have less of a visceral reaction to a Rays-Brewers World Series.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The visceral intricacy of the action alone feels unprecedented for stop-motion.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of visceral
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
Definition of conditioned
Adjective
  • Spoiler control increases the difference between knowing something about a movie and actually experiencing it; the resulting informational scarcity is a conspicuous kind of subliminal marketing.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Rustling and droning tape effects from Frye, subtle enough to be nearly subliminal but still somehow palpably present, act as a binding agent on every track, blurring tones and connecting rhythms.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of subliminal
Adjective
  • Electrons can then leak out of the chain, bonding with oxygen in the wrong parts of the mitochondria to form highly reactive free radicals that attack and deform neighboring molecules.
    — Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Without a strategic talent function, there is a heightened risk of critical workforce decisions becoming inherently reactive.
    — Syed Ahmad, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of reactive
Adjective
  • Together, the four officers dragged the unconscious man into the hallway.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Like Dominique Pelicot, the French man who used the online chat platform Coco to recruit men to rape his drugged and unconscious wife, the @SteveCumfulls of the world thrive on the internet’s reach and de-facto anonymity.
    — Anahid Nersessian, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of unconscious
Adjective
  • District winners earn automatic berths into the FHSAA playoffs.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Independent Payment Advisory Board, which was supposed to force automatic Medicare cuts if spending exceeded target growth rates, was repealed in 2018 without ever becoming operational.
    — Dana P. Goldman, STAT, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of automatic

Browse Nearby Words

paving the way (for)
Pavlovian
paw
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pavlovian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pavlovian. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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