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
-
Wyle listened to the two women’s breathing and administered a reflex test on their knees.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
8 May 2026
-
That reflex delays care and erodes trust.—
Liz Koch,
STAT,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
All in all, a funny glimpse at the power of the mob to both protect and serve our collective subconscious.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
Blending trenchant social commentary with genuine thrills, the film explores terror on both a surface and subconscious level as Chris tries to escape his dreadful fate — one that is arguably worse than death.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
The most visceral moment of the interview comes when Wilde describes the moment when she was publicly served custody papers while onstage at CinemaCon by her ex Jason Sudeikis.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
-
The test measures body composition, including muscle mass and visceral fat, which is stored around internal organs.—
Derek James,
CBS News,
16 June 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
-
When Kelli arrives to move into Shamea’s townhouse, the exchange is fraught with what feels like subliminal messages directed at Porsha.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
-
The second — and there was a lot of this — was the analysis offered by our skills coach above, which focused on the player’s more subliminal abilities.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Residents can dispose of corrosive, toxic, ignitable or reactive substances.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
-
Filling this time with meetings (or low-yield tasks) means surrendering the hours best suited for deep work and strategic thinking to reactive demands.—
Cynthia Pong,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
In July 2023, a 57-year-old woman died after becoming unconscious during an eight-mile hike in the remote Tuweep area of Grand Canyon National Park, where temperatures were above 100 degrees, according to the NPS.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
-
Prosecutors, who had sought seven years and seven months in jail, said that the four women accusing him of rape, in both the proven and unproven cases, had each time been too unconscious or too incapacitated to resist him after attending parties.—
Gwladys Fouche,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
In the early stages of a relationship, self-expansion is largely automatic, as new partners are most inclined at this point to learn about each other’s unfamiliar interests, social circles, habits and ideas.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
Under Texas election law, an automatic recount occurs only in the case of a tie; otherwise, a candidate must formally request one.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pavlovian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pavlovian. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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