as in automatic
done instantly and without conscious thought or decision
the birds' instinctual response is to fly away when startled
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Example Sentences
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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
-
Swanson is a healthy player, Counsell said, and the manager wound up subbing him in as the automatic runner at second base for Saturday’s 10th inning against the San Francisco Giants.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
7 June 2026
-
Furthermore, hoisting the trophy would secure the final crucial points needed to grant her automatic entry into the LPGA Hall of Fame.—
Bob Buttitta,
Daily News,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
Driving through deep water can also negatively affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 June 2026
-
Upstairs, the 2,940-square-foot western bar Big Shots features line dancing, beer and a mechanical bull.—
Olivia Wakim,
AJC.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Jacques Chirac was famous for his warmth, appetite and instinctive connection with crowds.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
-
That sense of responsibility, quiet, enduring, almost instinctive, runs through Giglio in ways that are hard to name but easy to recognize.—
Valentina Di Donato,
Forbes.com,
6 June 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
-
The top job on the list is car technician and mechanic, with a median hourly wage of almost $24.—
Sophie Caldwell,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
-
The van then moved from the Otay Mesa store to a spot on the street near a mechanic shop on Coolidge Avenue in National City.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 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 11 Jun. 2026.
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