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 March 21 – April 19 Your instincts may be right, but your delivery still matters. — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 25 July 2026 That homecoming instinct runs strong on her seventh album, Little Miss Twain. — Amanda Wicks, Pitchfork, 25 July 2026 Faced with abundance, the instinct is to fight harder on the abundant layer, to produce more of it, faster. — François Candelon, Fortune, 24 July 2026 And some of what Odysseus says about divinity, to me, is somebody who’s protesting a bit too much, someone trying to live in denial of their own instincts and their own practices. — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for instinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinct
  1. tendency
  2. skill
  3. inclination
  4. impulse
  5. disposition
Noun
  • OpenAI's Study Mode, introduced last year, is meant to counter that tendency.
    — Ray Ravaglia, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • His pass sonar for the World Cup, which visualises the direction and distance of a player’s passes, illustrates that tendency.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of tendency
Noun
  • There was no run game, the skill group wasn’t impactful and the offensive line couldn’t protect.
    — Antonio Morales, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • The owners are looking to take their culinary skills and move the conversation around Filipino cuisine forward.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of skill
Noun
  • Emery’s inclination for wide forwards is well known, but acutely demonstrated in Garnacho’s case.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Half the tracks skate along atop grooves informed by house and UK garage, reflecting Hebden’s clubbiest inclinations as well as his idiosyncratic sound design.
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 18 July 2026
Definition of inclination
Noun
  • Many online influencers focus on maximizing protein and fiber, and the impulse isn’t necessarily wrong.
    — Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • Two of Latin alternative’s gentlest souls combine their heart-on-your-sleeve electronic and indie-folk impulses for a breezy, languorous collaborative record.
    — E.R. Pulgar, Pitchfork, 20 July 2026
Definition of impulse
Noun
  • Burleson suggested Kelce — who co-hosts the New Heights podcast with brother Jason Kelce — already had a disposition well suited to a sports commentator.
    — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
  • If so, provide details, including case style, jurisdiction and details of disposition.
    — Schnelle Tonge, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 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 27 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on instinct

Nglish: Translation of instinct for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about instinct

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