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instinctual

adjective

as in automatic
done instantly and without conscious thought or decision the birds' instinctual response is to fly away when startled

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 The downside is that these shifts are not situations where instinctual actions are superfluous. — ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026 The monarchs’ feats of navigation are enabled by their internal technology, a set of instinctual tools that in some ways surpasses our understanding. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 When someone’s raging at you, two phrases seem almost instinctual to say. — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 July 2026 In her speech, Swift reflected on her career, the instinctual nature of her songwriting, and trusting her own voice. — Bryan West, USA Today, 12 June 2026 The instinctual Moon in your 1st House of Identity conjoins tender Chiron there, asking you to lead by naming a need without armor. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 11 June 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinctual
  1. automatic
  2. mechanical
  3. instinctive
  4. reflex
  5. spontaneous
  6. mechanic
  7. robotic
  8. sudden
Adjective
  • What’s more, Hall has received a significant salary increase, one which better reflects his status as an automatic starter.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • An automatic tensioner also removes the need to adjust it before each outing.
    — Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of automatic
Adjective
  • New drew his 72-pound Mathews VXR bow and sent a 125-grain mechanical two-blade Swhacker broadhead completely through the buck’s massive chest.
    — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Its entire loop revolved around strategic mechanical dismemberment, a concept perfected all the way back in Ninja Gaiden 2, where maiming enemies directly fed into brutal instant finishers.
    — Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of mechanical
Adjective
  • The instinctive response to new security risks is often to add another security tool.
    — Shane Buckley, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Some bicyclists and most motorcyclists understand that, when faced with an emergency situation while riding on two wheels, often the instinctive reaction is not the correct one.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of instinctive
Adjective
  • Padmini smiled, though this appeared more reflex than friendliness.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • One breath, just long enough to let the reflex pass and judgment catch up.
    — Alfonso Cahero, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of reflex
Adjective
  • In 2022, the pair took a big risk for their first date and went on a spontaneous trip to the World Cup in Qatar.
    — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Thompson is particularly skilled at emotionally investing in his character’s plight even as the spontaneous production refuses to take itself too seriously.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of spontaneous
Adjective
  • Parched fields force hydroponic growers, vegetable farmers and fruit producers to halt harvests, sell off underfed livestock at rock-bottom prices and even return to mechanic jobs to survive.
    — Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • There are exceptions and one is Hig (Elordi), who before the virus hit was a mechanic living a good life with his pregnant wife and new puppy.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of mechanic
Adjective
  • In 2019, the nation's robotic Chang'e 4 mission pulled off the first-ever soft landing on the moon's mysterious far side.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Zoom out, and scale changes what a robotic system’s success rate actually means.
    — Shivansh Inamdar, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of robotic
Adjective
  • If not for the sudden availability of long-distance ocean transport (not to mention constant engineering challenges and the escalating cost of the plan), D-Day may have required far more woollen socks.
    — Mike McRae September 16, New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Set on the eve of the Korean war, this ruminative story follows a midwestern family that’s fractured by a mother’s sudden disappearance.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of sudden

Browse Nearby Words

instincts
instinctual
institute
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Cite this Entry

“Instinctual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinctual. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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