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
And for those following the entrepreneurial instinct, a demographic shift may provide the missing piece of the puzzle.
—
Revana Sharfuddin, Twin Cities, 31 May 2026
That was exactly the shock and awe approach Trump defaulted to with his whopping Liberation Day tariffs, the purest expression of that instinct: maximum shock, maximum leverage, maximum chaos.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 26 May 2026
Many decisions were refined on-site, and shaped as much by instinct as by drawing.
—Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar, Architectural Digest, 24 May 2026
Rather than arriving with rigid rules, Fitch encourages customers to trust instinct.
—Daily News, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for instinct
Revana Sharfuddin, Twin Cities, 31 May 2026
That was exactly the shock and awe approach Trump defaulted to with his whopping Liberation Day tariffs, the purest expression of that instinct: maximum shock, maximum leverage, maximum chaos.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 26 May 2026
Many decisions were refined on-site, and shaped as much by instinct as by drawing.
—Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar, Architectural Digest, 24 May 2026
Rather than arriving with rigid rules, Fitch encourages customers to trust instinct.
—Daily News, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for instinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinct
Noun
-
There is still a tendency in tech to assume serious funding has to flow through San Francisco or New York, but capital is increasingly available in markets that historically sat outside the center of the venture ecosystem.—
Hebron Sher,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
-
Overprivileged students had a tendency to see teachers and headmasters not as authority figures but as people of lower social standing.—
Thomas Adam,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Researchers are already documenting how using AI tools in these contexts likely erodes critical thinking skills.—
Christian B. Miller,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
-
The quality of the present ultimately does not matter, thanks to Winegar’s day job as a comedy writer and his skill for booking equally funny guests.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
The 11 satellites on board are flying to a mid-inclination orbit.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 June 2026
-
So far, Cuban leaders have signaled no inclination to make political concessions.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Now his eponymous impulses have expanded to the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.—
Cleve R. Wootson Jr,
Washington Post,
3 June 2026
-
Here, as ever, Kokopeli suggests that clinging to youthful talismans offers no protection against uncertainty, and reasserts the odd mix of disaffection and morbid glee produced by such reactionary impulses.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Their books demonstrate that preparing for the future requires understanding the past and developing a patient, attentive disposition toward the here and now.—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
-
Knauf developed this disposition throughout the tenure of his career, which began in product management.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinct. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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