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 that supportive instinct extends beyond just her teammates.
—
Alice Park, Time, 22 Feb. 2026
While the intent was to reduce the tree’s size to improve safety, what actually happens is that the tree’s instinct to survive kicks in.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
With no humans in sight, the animals must rely on their own instincts to find safe ground as the water continues to rise.
—Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
Trust that your instincts and intuition as a parent.
—Jazmin Towe, Parents, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instinct
Alice Park, Time, 22 Feb. 2026
While the intent was to reduce the tree’s size to improve safety, what actually happens is that the tree’s instinct to survive kicks in.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
With no humans in sight, the animals must rely on their own instincts to find safe ground as the water continues to rise.
—Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
Trust that your instincts and intuition as a parent.
—Jazmin Towe, Parents, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinct
Noun
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Although medication and changes to your diet and lifestyle can help manage type 2 diabetes, the body’s underlying tendency toward insulin resistance cannot be cured.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
27 Feb. 2026
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There’s a facile critical tendency to liken a wide range of talky and small-scale dramas to the films of Éric Rohmer.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But the kits can also have safety scissors or pencils with rubbery grippers to improve motor skills.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
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That’s why a new effort to upgrade math skills via legislation is — or at least should be — high on the Capitol’s must-do list.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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My inclination next holiday is to continue to hand him the cookies and the card but not the cash.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
25 Feb. 2026
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This necessity balanced out Donovan’s natural inclination to play Dillingham under stricter expectations.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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After all, one of the persistent impulses of modern art has been to antagonize people of correct sensibilities, to subvert their cherished institutions.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
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Listen to what your impulses and instincts tell you.—
Lisa Stardust,
Vogue,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Despite deep-red voting records and conservative dispositions, many of these counties have few regrets about allowing towering wind turbines and lines of solar panels to dot bits of their countryside.—
Sophie Hartley,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
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That includes aliases, date of birth, race, counties of conviction, charges, case numbers, dispositions, descriptions of any identifying marks and tattoos and a photograph of a person.—
Ana Goñi-Lessan,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinct. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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