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
While not a typical incident, situations like this can happen in any restaurant kitchen—the knee-jerk reaction is nearly understandable.
—
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Admittedly, my own knee-jerk reaction landed in this category.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
Saylor’s defenders, meanwhile, dismiss critics as knee-jerk Bitcoin detractors who don’t understand the currency or the corporate finance techniques underlying Strategy’s operations.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2025
Questions over his future were confined to the knee-jerk realm of social media after four straight league defeats had derailed Liverpool’s title defence.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Admittedly, my own knee-jerk reaction landed in this category.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
Saylor’s defenders, meanwhile, dismiss critics as knee-jerk Bitcoin detractors who don’t understand the currency or the corporate finance techniques underlying Strategy’s operations.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2025
Questions over his future were confined to the knee-jerk realm of social media after four straight league defeats had derailed Liverpool’s title defence.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knee-jerk
Adjective
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Each employee gets their own retirement account, with automatic contributions made from their paychecks.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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The transistor acts like an automatic switch.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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After your baby is born progesterone (which inhibits breastmilk production) drops and prolactin, which controls milk volume, and oxytocin, which triggers the let-down reflex increases, explains Nadine Rosenblum, the perinatal lactation program coordinator at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.—
Hannah Silverman,
Parents,
16 Feb. 2026
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This local reflex system reduces damage, improves safety and makes interactions feel more natural.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The leaf shutter in the lens has a range from bulb to 1/500th of a second and is controlled via a mechanical film advance lever built around brass gears and mechanisms that provides a tactile experience.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
14 Feb. 2026
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Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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His response was considered a striking, and spontaneous, moral condemnation of McCarthy’s excesses.—
Kristen Monroe,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
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The spontaneous pep talk from Madonna came shortly before Glenn competed on the ice for the women’s short, which ended with the American at 13th place in the overall skater standings.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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What emerged was a season defined by ease and quiet confidence, where modern dressing feels instinctive, purposeful and deeply personal.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
17 Feb. 2026
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Johnson is instinctive, capable of quickly diagnosing layered route concepts, and can bait quarterbacks into making a mistake.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This past holiday season, to keep up with the Black Friday and Christmas demand, the company added 30% capacity to its robotic fleet.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
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Fincantieri’s industrial expertise, coupled with the Italian firm’s robotic platform, forms the base for this partnership.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Two years before Tony Clark’s sudden resignation made Bruce Meyer the head of the Major League Baseball Players Association, Meyer composed a letter to quiet the union members calling for his ouster.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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The Major League Baseball Players Association has elected a new executive director following the sudden departure of Tony Clark, who had led the union for over a decade.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Rosalba worked in the accounting department of a mail order catalog company and later helped her husband run a mechanic shop in Granada Hills.—
Matthew Ormseth,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Approximately 55 bus driver, bus monitor and mechanic roles will be cut.—
Kathryn Muchnick,
Louisville Courier Journal,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knee-jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knee-jerk. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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