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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Recent Examples of knee-jerk
The response from the F1 organization and motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, has been to wait patiently for a chance to review the rules, rather than making instant knee-jerk changes.
—
Luke Smith, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Guard against knee-jerk reactions today.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
The commitment angst plaguing Charlie and Emma over Emma’s secret seems to have a lot to do with several contemporary concerns—mixed messaging about gender roles, confusion over what constitutes a moral failing—that yield knee-jerk responses.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026
Admittedly, my own knee-jerk reaction landed in this category.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Luke Smith, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Guard against knee-jerk reactions today.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
The commitment angst plaguing Charlie and Emma over Emma’s secret seems to have a lot to do with several contemporary concerns—mixed messaging about gender roles, confusion over what constitutes a moral failing—that yield knee-jerk responses.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026
Admittedly, my own knee-jerk reaction landed in this category.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knee-jerk
Adjective
-
Massey began the inning as the automatic runner at second base, stole third, and then scored on Garcia’s flyball to center field off Cooper Criswell (1-1).—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 May 2026
-
Third-place finishers may advance via an automatic qualifier.—
Charles Baggarly
May 3,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 May 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
-
In 2016, its Swiss Alp model took a lighthearted jab at the tech industry, introducing a high-end mechanical timekeeper resembling the Apple Watch.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
2 May 2026
-
Felix Bohnsack, a twenty-two-year-old mechanical-engineering student, was ostensibly coördinating the work.—
Jessica Camille Aguirre,
New Yorker,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
In 2024, for example, more than 700 newborns died from spontaneous bleeding in their brains, which could have been complicated by liver disease or prematurity.—
Lee Hutchinson,
ArsTechnica,
6 May 2026
-
The little details are also covered—ice water delivered at regular intervals by beach staff, as well as complimentary kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and snorkel gear, making a spontaneous adventure easy to come by.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
As a downhill run defender, Winters is instinctive and decisive.—
Nick Harris
April 25,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Apr. 2026
-
That means today’s managers and Gen Z workers are, in many cases, operating from entirely different instinctive playbooks.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Raspberry Pi powers the robotic alien A Raspberry Pi 5 sits at the heart of the robot, connected to a PCA9685 HAT that controls the servo motors and movement.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
-
Alongside the crew landers, dozens of robotic and cargo landings will deliver payloads to scout for a future Moon base and demonstrate technologies for larger vehicles, mining and resource utilization, and sustained operations during the two-week-long lunar night.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
If the arteries are leading to the brain, symptoms may involve sudden numbness or weakness in the arms or legs, trouble speaking, slurred speech, sudden or temporary vision loss in one eye or facial drooping.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
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The vote of confidence from Multicoin continued what has been a sudden revival of interest in Zcash, which first launched in 2016.—
Jack Kubinec,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Eva Petzel, who will be an inspector working in Crown Point on election day, worked with mechanic Doug Kiser on a practice tutorial at the Lake County Government Complex on Saturday.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
-
Voters will decide in November on whether the union leader and mechanic stays in the seat ahead of the 2027 legislative session.—
Lina Ruiz
May 1,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knee-jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knee-jerk. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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