as in automatic
done instantly and without conscious thought or decision
a colleague known for her knee-jerk rejection of any proposal that she didn't originate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knee-jerk
Her words so galled many on the left, each column became a source of knee-jerk opposition online.
—
Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
The knee-jerk reaction is that Bednar has less margin for error after getting ousted early in the playoffs in the three seasons since winning the Stanley Cup.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 29 Sep. 2025
But if there is a leak within the FBI, who’s your knee-jerk pick?
—Claire Franken, TVLine, 26 Sep. 2025
These were knee-jerk reactions to an announcement that probably doesn’t change the status quo or backlogs for the foreseeable future, and who knows if this microfluidics technology can be done at scale.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
The knee-jerk reaction is that Bednar has less margin for error after getting ousted early in the playoffs in the three seasons since winning the Stanley Cup.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 29 Sep. 2025
But if there is a leak within the FBI, who’s your knee-jerk pick?
—Claire Franken, TVLine, 26 Sep. 2025
These were knee-jerk reactions to an announcement that probably doesn’t change the status quo or backlogs for the foreseeable future, and who knows if this microfluidics technology can be done at scale.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knee-jerk
Adjective
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The battle for the Group of 5 automatic bid is wide open in Week 11.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
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Say, for example, that a restaurant’s menu states that an automatic 18% charge will be added to all bills for parties of six or more customers.—
Cheryl Winokur Munk,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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But largely absent from the show was a pain management disorder – reflex neurovascular dystrophy, also known as complex regional pain syndrome – that Sioux has dealt with for much of her life.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
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In each case, there's a recognition that some players might want to explore a game's world—to experience the characters, art, and dialogue that the developers worked so hard to craft—without struggling through mechanical reflex tests or grindy, repetitive challenges.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Driving through deep water can also affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Nov. 2025
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Analysts also point out that the global supply of key components such as DRAM chips for consumer electronics, NAND flash chips for SSDs, and mechanical hard drives has all been constrained by the voracious demand from AI data centers.—
,
CNBC,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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While spontaneous mentions of high prices increased for a fifth month, inflation expectations eased over the longer term.—
Bloomberg News,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
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This could look like spontaneous travel plans, shifting your career focus or even a spiritual awakening.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The piece Lee publishes isn’t a Pulitzer-winning takedown, but a posthumous profile of the reclusive, kind-hearted Dale, a man who shares Dale’s love of crime writers like Jim Thompson and instinctive empathy for underdogs.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
5 Nov. 2025
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Not home in the physical sense, but in the ancestral one — that instinctive recognition that lives in the bones.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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For example, China has tested a satellite with a robotic arm that can shift other satellites into a different orbit.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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There were several such facilities at the time that were developing simulation centers with very sophisticated, six-figure robotic mannequins, on which training is done in low-stress environments for nurses, physicians and other healthcare providers.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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Excluding disasters, sudden surges of this magnitude in requests for food or any other need are rare at 211s, and can signal both public worry and need, as happened in the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Matthew W. Kreuter,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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For example, ads for mechanic positions were predominantly shown to men, while those for preschool teacher roles were primarily directed to women.—
Carlotta Dotto,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Donegan, who is twenty-eight, grew up in small-town Virginia, in a family that owned an assortment of local businesses—a tobacco farm, a mechanic shop, an electricity company.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knee-jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knee-jerk. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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