KILLER INSTINCT Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

killer instinct

noun

Definition of killer instinct

as in overambitiousness

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 killer instinct The entrepreneur and lifestyle icon has built a career out of creating and celebrating beautiful things, but a killer instinct for business is why her career has far outpaced the men’s around her. — Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Mar. 2026 During the third, his killer instinct shifted focus. — Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026 Piastri, 24, showed glimpses of that killer instinct in 2025, finishing third and cementing himself as one of the sport’s best drivers in his third full season. — Roman Stubbs, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2026 UConn is 22-1, has won 18 in a row, is 7-0 in true road games, ranked third in the nation, and the coach is no longer lamenting a lack of killer instinct, but showing the lack of respect card. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for killer instinct

Recent Examples of Synonyms for killer instinct

Noun

Meals are frequently centered on a starch, such as pasta, risotto, or polenta, and are often paired with red or white wine.

— Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Sep. 2026
Drinking apple cider vinegar before meals can help slow the rise of blood sugar by slowing the digestion of starches.

— Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of starch

Noun

The friends haven’t seen each other in some time, though Frankie spends many an evening parked outside the hospice in his car, summoning the gumption to visit.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
Slight, lightning quick and with mesmerizing ballhanding, Iverson attacked defenses on the perimeter and in the paint with equal parts of fearlessness and relentlessness, guile and gumption.

— Rob Peterson, New York Times, 26 July 2026

Definition of gumption

Noun

But don’t let the relatable career-girl pluck of the movie dilute the fact that this song is pissed off about capitalism, even as its hooks make the grind of working life more bearable.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
The opening acoustic guitar plucks were full in the lower frequencies while showing enough treble finesse to convey fine string texture.

— Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 14 June 2026

Definition of pluck

Noun

One of the Roundhouse’s biggest brags is an extensive liquor collection, highlighting spirits produced in New York State.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
Hoorne plays Woranart, a grandmother in her 80s whose youthful looks conceal a centipede spirit searching for a new host, with Oui (Baipor Thitiya Jirapornsilp), the family’s youngest member, emerging as her likely target.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of spirit

Noun

The new initiative is more than two months old, and the popularity of these streams seems evident.

— Larry Holder, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
The company has developed its own autonomy system, called Legion, and was selected for a Defense Innovation Unit effort focused on command and control for drone swarms under the Replicator initiative.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of initiative

Noun

Their source was the collective enthusiasm of a population that had gone into revolution—a revolution forming committees of social self-reliance in every field.

— Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
The music superstar grew up steeped in the ethic of self-reliance.

— George F. Will, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of self-reliance

Browse Nearby Words

killer

killer instinct

killers

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Killer instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/killer%20instinct. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of killer instinct

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

aggrandize

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes