as in overambitiousness
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Recent Examples of killer instinct
Savinho, who Guardiola said on Wednesday could miss up to two months with injury, and Oscar Bobb do not quite have the killer instinct in the final third yet, either.
—
Sam Lee, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
But not everyone has that same killer instinct.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for killer instinct
Sam Lee, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
But not everyone has that same killer instinct.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for killer instinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for killer instinct
Noun
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Add two tablespoons of corn starch.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
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Cold temperatures tend to affect potatoes' texture by breaking down the starches, turning them gritty or unintentionally sweet.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
There might be a fight to escape, but even those few who crawl over rocks and grit and sand to reach terra firma find their surroundings changed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
All of the classic, comforting flavors of good old shrimp and grits come together in easy, casserole form.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
17 May 2026
Noun
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Hsu’s voice performance also gives Kristen spunk in these scenes, while Sharpe brings an unexpected vulnerability to AJ.—
Marya E. Gates,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
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She was known among her neighbors for her generosity and spunk — and among her relatives for stubborn refusal to leave Bellevue Square, her home of 54 years, The Courant reported in 1997.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Imagine having watched film of your team in 2017 and 2018, then experiencing the gumption of the 2022 champions, then seeing the 2024 squad get bounced in the Play-In by the Sacramento Kings.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
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Edward Montoya plays Fingal as an idealistic young writer, fresh out of Harvard, with little practical experience but a lot of ability and gumption.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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When those practitioners are taken away from patients, our pluck and determination waver.—
Mindy Uhrlaub,
STAT,
16 Mar. 2026
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The opening guitar plucks received loads of low-mid resonance and crisp string textures, and when the track fully kicked in, each element in the busy mix got plenty of attention and detail.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen were outstanding, and Sam Merrill hit huge corner 3s in the first half to break Detroit’s spirit early.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
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Activist spirits might dismiss this emphasis on the purely sonic as a strategy of avoidance, although the likes of Feizabadi and Kourliandski can’t be accused of sitting idly by.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Beyond core transportation infrastructure, some states also rely on revenues from fuel taxes to fund education, environmental initiatives and other public programs.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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Organizations often lack the right IT or data infrastructure, and the testing and resiliency requirements for a company-wide implementation are far more complex than those for an isolated initiative.—
Paul Goydan,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
Noun
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The danger is a cycle in which Beijing answers economic anxiety with industrial self-reliance and export pressure, while Washington answers worker anger with tariffs, investment screening, and market restriction.—
Newsweek Editors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2026
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After a decade of deepening rivalry, Beijing comes to this meeting with its own playbook, which includes a sweeping drive for economic self-reliance and a stronger toolkit to handle foreign sanctions on Chinese companies.—
Sylvie Zhuang,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Killer instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/killer%20instinct. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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