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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 the Times) 🍴Lielle, one of Los Angeles’ most exciting fine-dining debuts, pairs Scandinavian instincts with California sensibility. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 Others worked almost entirely from instinct and whatever energy had formed in the room. — Crystal Bell, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026 The danger comes when that instinct threatens to prevent kids from appropriate identity exploration, safe failures, and finding their own way in the world. — Stephanie Ganz, Parents, 24 Sep. 2026 Connection feels best when support still leaves room for your own instincts. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for instinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinct
  1. tendency
  2. skill
  3. inclination
  4. impulse
  5. disposition
Noun
  • The perfect cup of coffee with Kevin Costner After reading prior interviews Costner had done with other outlets, one thing felt surprising given the actor's tendency toward the ruggedly handsome, cowboy archetype.
    — Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Not as praiseworthy is a tendency to dislike being told what to do, and in proving a point, to not only cut off their nose to spite their face but to lop off their heads as well.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of tendency
Noun
  • Earlier this week, Rolling Stone listed Laboriel among its top picks for possible replacements, noting his ferocious skills, friendship with Vedder, and his guest feature on the frontman’s 2022 solo LP, Earthling.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Slowing down became less a wellness cliché and more a survival skill, an essential part of learning to live inside my healing rather than constantly trying to outrun it.
    — Stefanie Benjamin, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of skill
Noun
  • 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
  • If all goes according to plan, Electron will launch the Owlright, Owlright, Owlright payload into a 37-degree orbital inclination, for deployment at a LEO altitude of 347 miles (559 kilometers).
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of inclination
Noun
  • That playfulness channels the same artistic impulse that first drew Coppola to the project.
    — Ben Croll, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Critical response was mixed with even the positive write-ups criticizing Beck for giving in to his most emotionally empty impulses.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of impulse
Noun
  • But even if Waldron’s disposition does not give off Master of the Universe vibes, his resumé certainly does.
    — Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • This disposition that will serve the character well in the valleys of despair the story will soon unexpectedly plunge her into.
    — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 15 Sep. 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 1 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on instinct

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about instinct

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