instinctively

adverb

Definition of instinctivelynext
as in intuitively

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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 instinctively Participants reacted instinctively to sounds approaching from behind, even when no visual object was present. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 July 2026 The best of them have built audiences by understanding, instinctively and precisely, how to earn attention and trust. — Jordan P. Kelley, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 In the period immediately preceding the war, Reynolds shows us, people on both sides almost instinctively reached for this conceit to explain the irrepressible conflict. — James Traub, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 Humans are instinctively averse to pain, conditioned instead to solve and strengthen and maximize, to inure ourselves to hurt. — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 As a young child, riding across the water in his uncle's boat, Watts instinctively stuck his hand into the spray, letting the lake rush past his fingertips. — Arkansas Online, 21 June 2026 Felix Nmecha’s direct forward pass was a peach and Undav instinctively tamed it with his right and smacked it with his left. — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 21 June 2026 Then, in a hivemind-like fashion, dozens of New Yorkers instinctively started shouting at the young guy who threw the bottle. — Antonio Ferme, Variety, 14 June 2026 Make physical contact Many people instinctively pull away during conflict, but Grines says couples who can hold hands while disagreeing tend to recover faster. — Angela Haupt, Time, 11 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinctively
  1. intuitively
  2. essentially
  3. fundamentally
  4. basically
Adverb
  • The strongest curriculum is one that teaches how to use technology intuitively, merging it with applying judgment, creativity, adaptability and resilience.
    — Al Kingsley MBE, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Rollerena seems to have understood this almost intuitively, resisting the slide into obscurity.
    — Emilie Hardman, JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2026
Definition of intuitively
Adverb
  • Medicare Advantage is a program that takes the money that would have been spent on you by Medicare and gives it to a private insurance company that essentially gives you private insurance coverage, often HMO or PPO.
    — Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 10 July 2026
  • Her outings this week were essentially a fashionable feast and a continuation of her commitment to method dressing for the red carpet.
    — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
Definition of essentially
Adverb
  • And when the workflow itself doesn’t fundamentally change, leadership struggles to point to meaningful business impact, even when the technology looks successful on paper.
    — Neda Nia, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Such a move could fundamentally alter the structure of the solar system and the habitability of Earth.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
Definition of fundamentally
Adverb
  • Gabriella paid off most of his entourage to leave him and the band alone and is now basically his own private Joe Jackson, pressuring him to record nonstop.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 6 July 2026
  • First, Season 4 basically just dropped a lot of characters from the central story.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of basically

Browse Nearby Words

instinctive
instinctively
instincts
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Cite this Entry

“Instinctively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinctively. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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