as in overambitiousness
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Recent Examples of killer instinct
One quality that distinguishes the very best chess players is killer instinct, an almost animalistic will to win.
—
Jordan Himelfarb, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
Some in the organization have voiced the opinion that the Padres need to have more of a collective killer instinct and that getting more consistency out of some star players could help achieve that.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025
Michael Jordan is one of the greatest ever to pick up a basketball, given his illustrious resume, but another major facet that has added to the lore surrounding him is his killer instinct and competitive nature.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Although Ghostface’s body count has gone through the roof over the years, one of the Scream franchise’s first victims had to help bring out his killer instinct.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for killer instinct
Jordan Himelfarb, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
Some in the organization have voiced the opinion that the Padres need to have more of a collective killer instinct and that getting more consistency out of some star players could help achieve that.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025
Michael Jordan is one of the greatest ever to pick up a basketball, given his illustrious resume, but another major facet that has added to the lore surrounding him is his killer instinct and competitive nature.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Although Ghostface’s body count has gone through the roof over the years, one of the Scream franchise’s first victims had to help bring out his killer instinct.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for killer instinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for killer instinct
Noun
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Gluten-Free Bread Gluten-free bread is typically made with corn, cassava, potato, tapioca, and rice starch.—
Lindsey DeSoto,
Verywell Health,
17 Feb. 2026
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According to Kessler, manufacturers took starch and converted it into a variety of ingredients.—
Sarah Koch,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For a hardy dinner, serve up a healthy helping of crispy Brussel sprouts alongside a nice piece of salmon over grits or polenta.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
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For the spring Talladega race weekend, Jack Link’s was one of Legacy’s primary sponsors, compelling Ha to incorporate beef snacks into her menu by crumbling them atop grits.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But by the time of his individual short program Tuesday night, Malinin's fearless swagger and unrivaled spunk was back.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
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Savannah Guthrie and her two siblings issued an emotional plea on Instagram for their mom's return, citing her spunk, her loving personality and her vulnerability.—
Helen Rummel,
AZCentral.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The result is music that shows a surprising amount of gumption, if not much else.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
23 Jan. 2026
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And though preseason predictions pegged Marty Supreme as Gwyneth Paltrow’s big Oscar comeback, Odessa A’zion’s performance as a girlfriend with gumption has usurped the Goopster’s buzz.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In the car world, Ratcliffe’s pluck has earned him some admiration, though sales have not necessarily followed, even if the Grenadier stacks up well in terms of price and power.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
29 Jan. 2026
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Trump is fond of Paxton’s pluck and Hunt’s ambition.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But the composer also makes great use of the saxophone, which playfully dances through melodies that transport the viewer back to the swinging '60s and evokes the spirit of Henry Mancini.—
Alex Galbraith,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
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At the bottom it could be motivated by the needs of the human spirit, some Wellsian desire to push out to the stars.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The grant is part of the Prebys Foundation’s Healing Through Arts and Nature initiative to help community groups provide arts, culture and nature to support healing for community members across San Diego County.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
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His training initiatives further encourage agents to explore asset performance measurement, tax-awareness conversations in partnership with financial professionals, and multi-generational planning discussions.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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My goal is to use federal resources to build local capacity and self-reliance, ensuring our community is not trapped in a cycle of permanent dependency.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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Encourage self-reliance by giving your child plenty of opportunities to explore without being overly supervised.—
Alanna Gallo,
Parents,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Killer instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/killer%20instinct. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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