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 Rice’s hiring makes for a compelling narrative about Netflix finding its way forward by relying on the instincts of an industry veteran known for effortlessly jumping between the film and TV worlds. — Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 23 Oct. 2026 It was also realized that having festive crowds enjoying the sight of a someone being killed was unseemly, exposing the base instincts that lie within us. — Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026 February 19 – March 20 Your instincts are especially sharp today. — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026 Pisces February 19 – March 20 Your instincts are especially sharp today. — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 22 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
  • Research has also found that across generational groups, greater user tendency to engage in social comparison, together with greater maladaptive ways of coping with emotions, is associated with more symptoms of anger, anxiety, and depression.
    — Ashwini Nadkarni, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Good and bad tendencies overlap and swirl — the Gators, a new property every week.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of tendency
Noun
  • During the interview with TBPN, Karp argued that AI is changing which skills and perspectives are valuable in the workplace.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Netflix’s skills and training programs reached over 6,500 people in Korea between 2021 and 2025.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of skill
Noun
  • In 1860, Muybridge was thrown from a carriage, resulting in a head injury that radically changed his personality and possibly heightened his artistic inclinations.
    — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Gai said internal discussions regarding the future of the hydration breaks are underway, before adding that the inclination inside FIFA is to make the pauses available on a match-by-match basis.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of inclination
Noun
  • Those impulses may have been shaped not by paranoia, but by evolution, as a way of staving off sickness in an uncertain world.
    — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Pisces Moon trines Mercury in Scorpio, giving you a strong feel for which idea, subject, or creative impulse deserves more attention.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of impulse
Noun
  • The dispositions of each case, along with bail recommendations, would be reported to legislative leaders.
    — Wendi C. Thomas, ProPublica, 26 Oct. 2026
  • If there aren’t personal dispositions from an ethical or medical perspective, there is no reason to completely omit any ingredient from one’s diet.
    — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of disposition

Browse Nearby Words

instills
instinct
instinctive
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Cite this Entry

“Instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinct. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on instinct

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about instinct

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