instinct

noun

Definition of instinctnext
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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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 instinct The work showcased an idiosyncratic filmmaker freely following his heady, sometimes absurdist instincts. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026 Deputy Mayor Letitia Dzirasa has said the rollout will be phased, which is the right instinct. — Ivan Sascha Sheehan, Baltimore Sun, 5 Nov. 2026 That instinct has given his work a life beyond his tenure at individual houses. — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026 Rather than be overly protective about some of his most famous intellectual property, Burton wanted to let the legacy leather-goods house and its designers follow their own instincts. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 4 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for instinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinct
  1. tendency
  2. skill
  3. inclination
  4. impulse
  5. disposition
Noun
  • Also exiled upstairs was Isabelle's mother, who had one foot in this world and one on the celestial plane, which resulted in a tendency to expose excess emotion and confide too much in strangers.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Presidents and their advisers have always had to guard against confirmation bias, our tendency to interpret evidence in light of our pre-existing beliefs and to under-weigh or dismiss facts that point to the contrary.
    — Keren Yarhi-Milo, Time, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of tendency
Noun
  • Among those skills is the ability to ask meaningful questions.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • With the level of skill and talent in the room and Fagen’s neurotic focus, The Nightfly would be a glimmering sonic masterpiece, even as his material looked back to the days of two-track recordings mixed to mono.
    — Mark Richardson, Pitchfork, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of skill
Noun
  • There may be no bias as prevalent in politics and rhetoric as recency bias, the inclination to give disproportionate emphasis to recent events and statements rather than historical overview and contemplation.
    — Richard E. Vatz, Baltimore Sun, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Bipartisan cooperation is not likely to be the first inclination of either party.
    — John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of inclination
Noun
  • The same impulse that lifts some victims up can leave others, the imperfect ones, out in the cold.
    — Paul Bloom, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The task of a deliberate legislative body is to reconcile those very different impulses.
    — Gibbs Knotts, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of impulse
Noun
  • California’s sky-high housing costs cast a dark shadow on its sunny disposition, sending some fleeing to more affordable climes.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Real estate results Excluding the large disposition of land in Washington that took place in early August, Rayonier's real estate segment sold $63 million in land with an average price per acre of $8,012.
    — Sebastien Chasse, CNBC, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of disposition

Browse Nearby Words

instills
instinct
instinctive
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinct. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on instinct

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about instinct

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