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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 political instinct isn’t wrong that Social Security is a good re-entry point: 73 million Social Security recipients are older and disabled, and even if the checks do get out this month, Republicans are on a collision course over funding the program.
—
Philip Elliott, Time, 16 Apr. 2025
Bowlers usually rely on instinct and experience, earned through lots and lots of practice, to boost their strike percentage.
—ArsTechnica, 15 Apr. 2025
Other teams will chase measurables at the position, but the Bills are all about instincts, high football IQ and ball skills.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Canada Vet explains that this fear is usually due to a mix of instincts, past experiences, and the felines' powerful personalities.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instinct
Philip Elliott, Time, 16 Apr. 2025
Bowlers usually rely on instinct and experience, earned through lots and lots of practice, to boost their strike percentage.
—ArsTechnica, 15 Apr. 2025
Other teams will chase measurables at the position, but the Bills are all about instincts, high football IQ and ball skills.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Canada Vet explains that this fear is usually due to a mix of instincts, past experiences, and the felines' powerful personalities.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinct
Noun
-
The tendency in the forecast has been for the front to set up across southeast portions of the Kansas City forecast area.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
-
According to Limon-Rocha, various life stressors—such as starting a new school, being bullied, losing a beloved pet, or having a family member with health issues—can all trigger perfectionist tendencies.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The combination of humor, humility, and skill made Arya stand out in a space dominated by polished perfection.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Liberal arts majors also tend to earn less than graduates in technical fields like engineering or math, largely because there’s less demand for their skills in higher-paying industries like technology and finance.—
Mike Winters,
CNBC,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The unusual trajectory aligned the Falcon 9 with a perfectly polar orbit at an inclination of 90 degrees to the equator, bringing the four-person crew directly over the North or South Pole every 45 minutes.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
4 Apr. 2025
-
And grant funding has become less reliable as state governments face their own financial challenges while the Trump administration has shown little inclination to aid transit systems.—
Soumya Karlamangla,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The Stand By Me actor candidly discussed the difficulty of being estranged from his parents and his impulse to share his achievements with parental figures in an interview with Michael Rosenbaum on the Inside of You podcast.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Grandin is distressed by the resurgence today of reactionary impulses in the United States.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The disposition doesn’t elaborate on exactly what Rodriguez told the crowd.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2025
-
That's true even if the value of your shares went up and down—if there's no sale or disposition, there's nothing to report.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinct. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share