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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Now the Dark Knight has always had some distinctly authoritarian tendencies baked into his tactics and mythology, as a Christopher Nolan movie or three made pretty clear.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
9 Nov. 2025
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Unfortunately, the songs have a tendency to drift towards a very similar sound, which stands out in the context of a project where everything else is so imaginative.—
Kambole Campbell,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Investopedia defines it as a job done outside the office, typically requiring manual labor or skills in a particular trade.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
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Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Activity Table Foster your little one’s motor skills with this activity table that allows babies ages 6 months and up to flip, slide, roll, spin, and press the buttons, wheels, and lights.—
Mia Huelsbeck,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The inclination to avoid that threshold already impacted Denver’s decision not to sign a rookie contract extension with Peyton Watson last month.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
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Lin—whose early career at Zappos and mathematical inclinations molded him into an early backer of companies like Airbnb and DoorDash—has been at Sequoia since 2010.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But these impulses are growing within the Democratic Party as well.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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Citi Bike stemmed from a practical impulse.—
Evan Friss,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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For her part, BunnaB, beloved for her infectious, near-constant laughs, has separated herself from this ascendant pack by infusing her bubbly disposition, girl’s girl attitude, unfettered authenticity — and the unmistakable gravity of earning a second shot.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
5 Nov. 2025
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Controversy follows Cheney While Cheney's disposition was never particularly sunny, critics assailed the vice president as a relentlessly grim figure.—
Don Gonyea,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinct. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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