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 For decades, film festivals cast themselves as cinema’s refuge from Hollywood’s worst commercial instincts. — Joseph Kahn, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026 But Ripa’s instinct to fix the habit first is one the experts would back. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026 This Junya Watanabe outing did both, extending his deconstructive instincts from the clothes to the medium of the fashion show itself. — Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026 Ansolabehere and Viksten, who had attended UCLA and tried for years to break into Hollywood, would channel their cinematic storytelling instincts into the show. — Darryn King, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for instinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinct
  1. tendency
  2. skill
  3. inclination
  4. impulse
  5. disposition
Noun
  • Or perhaps the increase reflects an institutional tendency toward over-enforcement.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • This combines the annual seasonal pattern, the four-year election cycle and the decadal tendencies (years that end in 6).
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of tendency
Noun
  • There are so many people out there, such as myself, that really value those skills and are looking to work with folks like you.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • His wife, Elizabeth, helps out with her cooking skills during preseason practices.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of skill
Noun
  • OpenAI’s closest rival, Anthropic, has shown no inclination to delay its own IPO, which is expected sometime before year’s end.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And a lot of the time, people who have these kinds of inclinations towards children are people who were children who were abused themselves.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of inclination
Noun
  • Being in a state of desire produces physical reactions that are difficult to manufacture — sweat, blood rushing, dilated pupils — while offering up the human impulses behind the work, like what excites a designer and what they’re drawn to.
    — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This monster is a twisted version of the ideal parent, a collection of traditional maternal impulses pushed to almost comical extremes.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of impulse
Noun
  • The bird was also known for its disposition, especially toward men.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The company has opened two facilities and upgraded others to expand throughput, while investing in a visibility platform that gives customers the information needed to streamline disposition decisions.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 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 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on instinct

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about instinct

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