instincts

noun

plural of instinct
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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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 instincts Marr made a habit of quietly observing Akey last season, trying to pick up on the instincts that made the senior so dominant. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026 Zelenskyy previously attributed the improvement in relations to Trump's political instincts. — Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 In the red zone a few plays later, veteran free agent addition Cobie Durant picked off a Dak Prescott pass intended for CeeDee Lamb in the end zone where Durant broke off his assignment with good instincts and easily picked it off. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Aug. 2026 Progress is being made, but regardless, his penalty-area instincts are precisely why his profile is so interesting for Barcelona. — Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 His muscles grew stronger; his predatory instincts came to the fore. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Aug. 2026 Looking back, Emma hopes her story encourages other parents to trust their instincts before making such a permanent decision. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026 If not for her acrobatics and instincts, the club’s minus-five goal differential could be buried much deeper. — Jane Kenny, Mercury News, 30 July 2026 After realizing what happened, Cifaldi said his medical instincts immediately took over. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 28 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instincts
  1. tendencies
  2. skills
  3. inclinations
  4. impulses
  5. dispositions
Noun
  • The zoological and mythographic tendencies of Caillois are by no means out of place here.
    — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Offensive linemen need reps with their running back to learn tendencies, and Petzing is going to need his entire offense on the field together to tailor the running game to his offensive line’s strengths.
    — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of tendencies
Noun
  • How much should be invested in learning, experimentation and the skills the business will require next?
    — Nirit Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Some of the fastest-growing skills are in areas like agentic AI, responsible AI and AI infrastructure, according to tech workplace platform Dice.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of skills
Noun
  • People with gene variants that affect these inclinations may also be at a higher risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes, researchers found.
    — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 28 July 2026
  • Half the tracks skate along atop grooves informed by house and UK garage, reflecting Hebden’s clubbiest inclinations as well as his idiosyncratic sound design.
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 18 July 2026
Definition of inclinations
Noun
  • An animal story set in motion by the basest human impulses—though also distinguished by some of our best—the novel is tied deeply into both ancient literary tradition and tragically perennial concerns.
    — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
  • With that, the earnest impulses of freedom-loving Americans’ distrust of institutions could easily be exploited by weapons of mass deception.
    — Will Cady, SPIN, 30 July 2026
Definition of impulses
Noun
  • The dispositions in the Massachusetts arrests were not immediately clear.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2026
  • Change the leader themselves — their behaviours, their habits, their dispositions.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of dispositions

Browse Nearby Words

instinctively
instincts
instinctual
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Cite this Entry

“Instincts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instincts. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on instincts

Nglish: Translation of instincts for Spanish Speakers

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