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 His muscles grew stronger; his predatory instincts came to the fore. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Aug. 2026 The viral line is the same instinct, scaled down and democratized. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 31 July 2026 Advertisement Wilson plays the scene from the opposite instinct, a lawyer discovering the law has nothing left to offer him. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026 If not for her acrobatics and instincts, the club’s minus-five goal differential could be buried much deeper. — Jane Kenny, Mercury News, 30 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
  • Boards that recognize and overcome these tendencies are far more likely to create lasting value than those that monitor management.
    — James Langabeer, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The zoological and mythographic tendencies of Caillois are by no means out of place here.
    — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of tendency
Noun
  • This process helps redefine identity and find new avenues for skills and values, proving that professional identity isn't erased when a job title disappears.
    — Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Bush and Bell both honed their leadership skills in Ferguson amid the racial unrest that followed the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer in 2014.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of skill
Noun
  • The inclination to boycott an organization was fairly consistent across party lines—48% of Democrats and 40% of Republicans.
    — Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Undoubtedly, a 3-4-2-1 delivered the best results last season, but the manager’s natural inclination is to play with four defenders.
    — Luke Bosher, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of inclination
Noun
  • The rise of Black power influenced Chicano activism, and many Mexican Americans increasingly shed illusions that they could be seen as white, at least legally so, and rejected assimilationist impulses.
    — Eladio Bobadilla, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The impulse was a natural extension of Perrin’s broader passion for building community.
    — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of impulse
Noun
  • That disposition, building inside a system with no certainty of outcome, is what every emerging market requires from the people inside it who are not yet famous enough to wait.
    — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Meet Funshine Bear, known for its sunny disposition and sense of humor.
    — Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 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 9 Aug. 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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