reflex 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of reflexnext
as in reactive

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reflex

2 of 2

noun

as in recoil

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reflex
Adjective
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 There was a reflex stop on a David Kämpf flash rebound in the second period. — Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Noun
When my commute disappeared, so did the urge to check my phone before my feet hit the floor, and once that reflex went, everything else started to shift too. — Allison Palmer july 8, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026 But away from the mindless, mechanical checklists of proxy rating firms Glass Lewis and ISS, this reflexive reflex collides with the messy reality of business building and actual leadership, not to mention genuine business performance. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for reflex
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reflex
  1. reactive
  2. recoil
  3. unconscious
  4. revulsion
  5. visceral
  6. rebound
  7. Pavlovian
  8. subconscious
Adjective
  • Personally, niacinamide has held a regular place in my routine for years to treat my oil-prone, reactive skin.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 23 July 2026
  • Continuous glucose monitors transformed diabetes care from reactive management to personalized, real-time decision making.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of reactive
Noun
  • Mention your need for a kitchen rug in conversation, and you'll either be greeted with enthusiastic recommendations or watch someone recoil at the thought of putting textiles in one of the home's most spill-prone, high-traffic spaces.
    — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 9 July 2026
  • Each party champions a cultural agenda from which supporters of the other party recoil.
    — Robert A. Ballingall, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of recoil
Adjective
  • Importantly, this is happening at an unconscious level, meaning that women aren’t necessarily purposefully excluded at work.
    — Melissa A. Wheeler, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Officers found Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan unconscious.
    — Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Definition of unconscious
Noun
  • The deepest reason for this near-universal futility is that most of us remain imprisoned by the delusions of the ego, suffering from alternating cravings and revulsions.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
  • Watching Jackie read her profoundly scary tale, my reaction moved from curiosity to revulsion to fear… not of her, but of Michael.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
Definition of revulsion
Adjective
  • The film frames spirituality as both a visceral response to injustice, and an unquenchable thirst to cure it.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 July 2026
  • In Whitehead’s hands, that imagining takes us through both time and place while making visceral the horrors of enslavement.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of visceral
Noun
  • Analysts say the sector is unlikely to deliver a meaningful rebound in growth in Q2.
    — Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 15 July 2026
  • The go-ahead score came in the 93rd minute off a rebound from an attempt near the top of the box.
    — AJC Sports, AJC.com, 12 July 2026
Definition of rebound
Adjective
  • When the needle finally drops, the effect is Pavlovian.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 25 July 2025
  • The result is a political Pavlovian response where even modest tax reforms come with a side of millionaire exodus think-pieces.
    — Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
Definition of Pavlovian
Adjective
  • Nolan has embraced an elaborately mathematical approach to storytelling and somehow applied it successfully to the subjects of subconscious corporate espionage, space exploration, and World War II.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 July 2026
  • A lot of the emotions Cancer carries are often subconscious and ancestral, which is why this lunation can also be tied to the past.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026
Definition of subconscious

Browse Nearby Words

reflects (on or upon)
reflex
reflexes
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Cite this Entry

“Reflex.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reflex. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on reflex

Nglish: Translation of reflex for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about reflex

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