as in tendencies
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 instincts
Following her instincts have always paid off for her.
—
Colleen Kratofil, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Naturally, no shortage of love triangles, drunken decisions, and roommate squabbles ensue — common comedy tropes that get turned on their heads by Waller-Bridge’s trademark offbeat, razor-sharp comedic instincts.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 3 Oct. 2025
Beyond being fun, toys help dogs develop instincts, provide stimulation, and strengthen the bond between pets and their owners.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Andersen, unfortunately, confirmed Hartwell’s instincts.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
For now at least, partisan instincts are raging and answers are in short supply.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
This month is all about going with your instincts and taking a leap of faith.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
The 11th Street Kids of Harcourt, John Economos (Steve Agee), Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) and Adebayo had already set out to rescue Chris from Earth-2, and Harcourt’s instincts as an agent who minds her surroundings picked up on the white supremacist haven almost immediately.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2025
Trust your instincts and confirm before taking action.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Colleen Kratofil, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Naturally, no shortage of love triangles, drunken decisions, and roommate squabbles ensue — common comedy tropes that get turned on their heads by Waller-Bridge’s trademark offbeat, razor-sharp comedic instincts.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 3 Oct. 2025
Beyond being fun, toys help dogs develop instincts, provide stimulation, and strengthen the bond between pets and their owners.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Andersen, unfortunately, confirmed Hartwell’s instincts.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
For now at least, partisan instincts are raging and answers are in short supply.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
This month is all about going with your instincts and taking a leap of faith.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
The 11th Street Kids of Harcourt, John Economos (Steve Agee), Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) and Adebayo had already set out to rescue Chris from Earth-2, and Harcourt’s instincts as an agent who minds her surroundings picked up on the white supremacist haven almost immediately.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2025
Trust your instincts and confirm before taking action.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instincts
Noun
-
While Uso has been known to play to the crowd and have a good time, he's shown some heelish tendencies as of late.—
Fernando Quiles Jr,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The first two periods for the Bruins were marked by shades of the worst tendencies of last year’s team – costly turnovers inability to build on in-game success and lack of timely saves.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Culinary skills aside, he’s proven a quick study finding who the power brokers are here and has been working closely with them.—
Carol Cain,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Ever since, Swifties and bakers alike have embraced the singer's sourdough skills.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
While the corrupt scheme was well documented journalistically and much of the evidence is indicative, ultimately Argentina's Judiciary followed its political inclinations all the way to the top.—
Agustino Fontevecchia,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
-
The artist’s ability to straddle the line between tomboy inclinations and ultra-glam moments is what has always attracted me to her style.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
And yet, for all the buoyancy onstage, Sultana’s party was already riven with deep divisions and suffering from self-defeating impulses familiar to observers of the American progressive left.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
4 Oct. 2025
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Verdi’s Otello isn’t Shakespeare’s Othello but a cauldron that alchemizes ugly impulses into irresistible beauty.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Involvement in structuring joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, activist takeover and defense, financing arrangements, and similar matters will all be considered.—
Liane Jackson,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Dim lighting bounces off of soft pink tiles and warms the dining room, the bathrooms glow ocean blue, every inch of the space colored by the sisters’ sunny dispositions and their dedication to turning even the most low-key midweek dinner into an exercise in jubilant excess.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instincts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instincts. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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