as in tendency
a usually innate ability or desire to perform a specific activity
Pouncing on mice is a cat's natural instinct. We needed all of our survival instincts to make it through the weeks lost at sea.
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Recent Examples of instinct
And that kind of contradicts your instinct as an actor.
—
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Jan. 2026
This public instinct didn’t emerge in a vacuum.
—Dustin Olson, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026
Your instincts are probably already solid, but a little wisdom from a professional stylist goes a long way.
—Annie Blackman, InStyle, 25 Jan. 2026
That instinct is understandable.
—Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instinct
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Jan. 2026
This public instinct didn’t emerge in a vacuum.
—Dustin Olson, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026
Your instincts are probably already solid, but a little wisdom from a professional stylist goes a long way.
—Annie Blackman, InStyle, 25 Jan. 2026
That instinct is understandable.
—Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinct
Noun
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To tap into each other’s tendencies, to establish chemistry as pick-and-roll partners.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
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One of their experiments, using GPT-5, examined how the chatbot would behave in a new chat session after a user submitted text classified as supporting left- or right-wing authoritarian tendencies.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The designer honors his Azerbaijani heritage, working with artisans from across Azerbaijan and Georgia to create rich, unique textures, while helping to support rural communities and preserve fading artisanal skills.—
Amy O’Brien,
Vogue,
30 Jan. 2026
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According to a Forbes report, the app store is built on OM1, OpenMind’s modular operating system, which allows developers to create apps that package specific skills for distribution across multiple robot platforms.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Up to us are judgment, inclination, desire, aversion — in short, whatever is our own doing.—
Massimo Pigliucci,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
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Trump’s inclinations to make every race about him could foul this for the GOP.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But most of the jazz world ended up moving in the other direction, fleeing to New York and Paris and never looking back as if chasing elite romance, and this was as valid an impulse as chasing the sun.—
Celina Pereira,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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Or the impulse that really just got like cranked two 11 that kind of forced you into this?—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Desserts, salads, chicken, roasted potatoes…what can’t be improved by the yellow fruit’s sunny disposition?—
Maggie Meyer Glisan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
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Recall that a year prior to Wardlaw passing her hot check, criminal court records confirm her guilty disposition for the crime of skipping out on a wholly different criminal-court appearance, which is a class C misdemeanor.—
Robert Steinbuch,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinct. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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