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
Admittedly, my own knee-jerk reaction landed in this category.
—
Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
The SaaSpocalypse, ultimately, was a knee-jerk, existential reaction to where AI is (slowly, in many contexts) dragging the tech stack.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
That chapter explores a young punk’s knee-jerk rejection of pop music.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
So, no, not a knee-jerk reaction, but basically the awareness that there is nothing wrong with insurance.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
The SaaSpocalypse, ultimately, was a knee-jerk, existential reaction to where AI is (slowly, in many contexts) dragging the tech stack.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
That chapter explores a young punk’s knee-jerk rejection of pop music.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
So, no, not a knee-jerk reaction, but basically the awareness that there is nothing wrong with insurance.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knee-jerk
Adjective
-
Nolan Schanuel drove in automatic runner Adam Frazier with a one-out sacrifice fly in the 11th inning to lift the Los Angeles Angels to an 8-7 walk-off win over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Accessibility There are plenty of elevators, wheelchair-accessible rooms, accessible parking, and wheelchair entrances with automatic doors for the lagoon entrance.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That reflex delays care and erodes trust.—
Liz Koch,
STAT,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The ten seconds that led to the Braylon Mullins’ miracle shot were a series of reflex plays, reactions, the ultimate in instincts taking over, living in the split second, rather than in the moment.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Driving through deep water can also negatively affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Street artists and fortune-tellers set up here daily, creating a scene that feels spontaneous every time.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
-
With Venus and Uranus entering Gemini in your curious third house on April 24 and 25, sparks could fly through conversation, texts or spontaneous encounters.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Having collaborated with a filmmaker for over thirty years, for whom the language of comedy is so instinctive, is one of the greatest joys of my professional life.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
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The instinctive Moon lights your 5th House of Games, forming a flowing trine with imaginative Neptune in your 9th House of Journeys.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Seeing something on the moon, describing it, and composing a photograph from a very close distance is a different experience from viewing something from afar, or even seeing a close-up captured by a robotic camera.—
Rebecca Boyle,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Now, Zhang and his team have gone one step further and trained a Unitree Go2 robotic dog using a large language model via AI tool GPT-4 to question and respond to cues from the user and the environment.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2026
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Brave Mars is encouraging your intuitive sign, while its sextile to sudden Uranus in your 3rd House of Communication favors outreach.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In the behind-the-scenes footage, Sinise is seen angling himself under the hood of the car from the music video as Wilson gives cues about the natural placement of a mechanic working.—
Chris Barilla,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
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The scheme, which uses single-button presses to deploy impressive moves, appears easy to learn on the surface, but Quarter Up layered complexity through the tag mechanic and defensive options to create depth.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knee-jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knee-jerk. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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