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
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Or just a reflex mean-reversion trade in some laggard sectors at a time when the AI theme has become more fragmented and treacherous?—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
4 Dec. 2025
-
As a result, reflex time — a mechanic that emulated the slow-motion gunfights of Hard Boiled or The Matrix, or bullet time from Remedy’s Max Payne (2001) — would be a defining aspect of F.E.A.R.’s gameplay.—
Will Borger,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Filmed in striking black and white, the film's unsettling power comes from its blending of an alien-like sensibility and our very human subconscious fears.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
-
On a subconscious level, if those movies could be vanquished, maybe Trump could be too.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The pace is a visceral reflection of both AI’s rapid progress and Roher’s jittery state of mind.—
Caryn James,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Mom mode is disorienting on a visceral level.—
Beth Ann Mayer,
Parents,
27 Jan. 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
-
Those in the public eye are not immune to society’s subliminal, and now not-so-subliminal, messaging about bodies.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
6 Dec. 2025
-
The popularity of self-checkout, then, could suggest a subliminal shift in some shoppers’ priorities—an aversion to waiting might be outweighed these days by a reluctance to engage with other people.—
Valerie Trapp,
The Atlantic,
4 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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When that understanding sits exclusively with external advisors, leaders are forced into a reactive posture, waiting for answers instead of shaping them.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Harry, meanwhile, feels reactive.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Police reportedly said Camferdam is the individual seen in the now-viral video stomping on Epperson’s head, which ultimately left him unconscious.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The 50-year-old woman who perished, and whose identity was not immediately released, was found unconscious and unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene, an NYPD spokesperson said.—
Theodore Parisienne,
New York Daily News,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This manual mop uses internal water tanks and automatic waste separation to make cleanup easier while performing sweeping, mopping, and washing all in one motion.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
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The broader lesson is that global convergence is neither automatic nor guaranteed, but instead depends on certain conditions such as undisturbed markets, even as long-term progress has proven more robust than critics often assume.—
Chelsea Follett,
Oc Register,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pavlovian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pavlovian. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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