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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Recent Examples of instinct
Bishop plays Zoe, a protagonist haunted by her past who must tap into darker instincts to make it through.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025
Trust your instincts if something feels off.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2025
After the contact Following the Instagram communique, Kripalani’s indie filmmaking instincts kicked in.
—Sara Merican, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2025
Trust your instincts, that’s my lesson.
—Jamilee Hoglind, Outside, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instinct
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025
Trust your instincts if something feels off.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2025
After the contact Following the Instagram communique, Kripalani’s indie filmmaking instincts kicked in.
—Sara Merican, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2025
Trust your instincts, that’s my lesson.
—Jamilee Hoglind, Outside, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinct
Noun
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The collaboration between certain MAGA influencers and animal-rights activists has drawn out the most confrontational tendencies within each camp.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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One way to estimate your tendency is with a Morningness-Eveningness questionnaire.—
Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Meanwhile, Helm practises Helm’s skills.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The challenge, as always in football, is for those players to showcase their skill within the context of a high tempo.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The cosmos is asking us to define our aspirations and inclinations.—
Lisa Stardust,
Refinery29,
20 Oct. 2025
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On command, the Arc would detach from the service module and reenter the atmosphere at Mach 20+ with a high sustained g-load to arrive at any location within its orbital inclination zone.—
David Szondy
October 13,
New Atlas,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The impulse to gather, protect, and educate one another has only grown stronger.—
Colleen Hamilton,
Them.,
30 Oct. 2025
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But the Dionysian impulse — the wild, ecstatic, creative urge — is the source of all vitality.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Similar to Rogan’s disposition to endorse pseudoscience and bad medical advice.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The face is the same, but the conditions around the face — time of day, weather, background, the subject’s personal disposition — vary, and that changes the mood of every photo.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinct. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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