as in automatic
done instantly and without conscious thought or decision
the birds' instinctual response is to fly away when startled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 instinctual
What Natalie does seem driven by—more than faith, more than redirected ambition—is her instinctual loathing of other women.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Sprints are chaotic and instinctual, for all the planning that can be done, decisions have to be made on feeling, with risk, at speeds topping out at around 80kph.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 9 May 2026
This was an instinctual work, mined from decades of memory.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
Gukesh has a maturity that seems connected to his openness to instinctual play, and to his awareness of the depth and power of human feeling.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
The rest of Kennard’s learning has been through conversations with coaches, film study and instinctual play on the court.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Skyy Clark is a very instinctual defender.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2026
Even voluntary music response seems to have an instinctual aspect.
—Jesse Greenspan, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2026
There is an instinctual thing — an unspoken and not really understood connection there.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Sprints are chaotic and instinctual, for all the planning that can be done, decisions have to be made on feeling, with risk, at speeds topping out at around 80kph.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 9 May 2026
This was an instinctual work, mined from decades of memory.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
Gukesh has a maturity that seems connected to his openness to instinctual play, and to his awareness of the depth and power of human feeling.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
The rest of Kennard’s learning has been through conversations with coaches, film study and instinctual play on the court.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Skyy Clark is a very instinctual defender.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2026
Even voluntary music response seems to have an instinctual aspect.
—Jesse Greenspan, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2026
There is an instinctual thing — an unspoken and not really understood connection there.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinctual
Adjective
-
Razeen Road finally jogs east, and an automatic gate opens to allow drivers onto an unpaved road leading deeper into the desert.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
Furthermore, discovery networks like Podchaser index over 150,000 podcasts, and most top-tier podcast hosting sites now include automatic transcripts for creators as a standard feature.—
Frank Racioppi,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Driving through deep water can also affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 May 2026
-
Engineers at the University of California, San Diego may have developed a different way to connect satellites to Earth, replacing large mechanical dishes with networks of smaller, flat antennas distributed across rooftops, telecom towers, and other buildings.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
When work is visible, collaboration becomes instinctive.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
Your 6th House of Work and Well-being lights up as the instinctive Moon moves there, facing sudden Uranus in your 12th House of Solitude.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
Wyle listened to the two women’s breathing and administered a reflex test on their knees.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
8 May 2026
-
That reflex delays care and erodes trust.—
Liz Koch,
STAT,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The right pair of shorts or cropped pants can keep you cool and comfortable on long walks to explore new neighborhoods, lazy afternoons at outdoor cafes, hikes to a waterfall or outlook, and spontaneous detours to the beach.—
Robin Raven,
Travel + Leisure,
3 June 2026
-
That instinct toward image-as-communication shapes the film’s central tension, between the deliberate, enduring photographs made at father-in-law Makoto’s traditional photo studio and the spontaneous clips Yuta fires off on his phone.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Guests then weave through the engine room and mechanic shop of Ohnaka Transport Solutions.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
21 May 2026
-
Eva Petzel, who will be an inspector working in Crown Point on election day, worked with mechanic Doug Kiser on a practice tutorial at the Lake County Government Complex on Saturday.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Blue Origin is gearing up to send a robotic prototype of the vehicle, called Blue Moon Mark 1, to the lunar surface later this year, to demonstrate the vehicle’s capabilities.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
-
Three days ago, Blue Origin also won a major contract to carry two robotic landers to the moon for NASA on missions scheduled to launch later this year.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
-
There was a sudden flourishing of knives, blades flashing in the market lights.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instinctual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinctual. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
