REFLEX Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

reflex 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of reflex

as in reactive

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

reflex

2 of 2

noun

as in recoil

Related Words

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

As the session continues, Atlas’s movements appear increasingly fluid, suggesting the system is being evaluated not only for strength but also for agility, reflex response, and adaptive motor control. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 24 June 2026 Wyle listened to the two women’s breathing and administered a reflex test on their knees. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 8 May 2026

Noun

The reflex to regard America’s earlier representational and nationalist traditions as something to be repudiated, rather than reconsidered, is learned — not inevitable. — Frank Porcu, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026 The reflex read on a $45 billion commitment is that spending is outrunning revenue. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reflex

Recent Examples of Synonyms for reflex

Adjective

Inserting neutrons into the uranium mix forces some of them to transform into a more reactive material, such as the isotope plutonium-239.

— Mike McRae October 06, New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2026
When your skin feels especially reactive, calming ingredients like Centella asiatica, madecassoside, and Coptis japonica root step in.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of reactive

Noun

One obvious reason for this had been that officials weren't entirely certain what the effects of firing the cannon might be on the spacecraft, such as the weapon's recoil on the station while fired in a microgravity environment.

— Micah Hanks, Space.com, 9 Oct. 2026
And the fact that its recoil didn’t threaten to detach your retinas with each trigger pull was a big bonus.

— John B. Snow, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of recoil

Adjective

Assistant federal defender Stephen Ferrell, the attorney for Christa Pike, said in a Sunday interview with Jake Tapper on CNN’s State of the Union that his client remains unconscious and intubated in a Nashville hospital.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
Being too drunk or high only becomes relevant if the victim was drugged without her consent or knowledge or was unconscious (or otherwise physically unable to communicate unwillingness).

— Ilana Turko, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of unconscious

Noun

Someone else expresses revulsion at seeing dogs devour bodies left to rot, but the disgust doesn’t seem to extend to the killings themselves.

— Jay Weissberg, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
Anyone with even the mildest case of trypophobia—the sense of revulsion from tiny clusters and holes—should avert their eyes.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of revulsion

Adjective

She had been reminded of his anniversary just days earlier in a Facebook Memory, but the sound of his voice was a visceral jolt.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Research has linked altered cortisol activity with greater abdominal and visceral fat, although the relationship is complex.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of visceral

Noun

In a wild finish, Jackie Young missed the second of two free throws with six seconds left to give Las Vegas one last chance, then Chelsea Gray grabbed the rebound and drove under the basket for a layup attempt.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
This system reduces the exposure to Iranian attack and has led to a rebound of crude exports through Hormuz.

— Brian Sullivan,Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of rebound

Adjective

Publications from the Times on down employ clickbait headlines that treat you like a starving rat in a Pavlovian experiment.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
O’Neill, who also has Pavlovian as a starter, named Cristian Torres to ride Robusta because Emisael Jaramillo had commitments at Santa Anita.

— Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026

Definition of Pavlovian

Adjective

One reason is because the wrong word or phrase can impair an athlete’s attention or focus, pulling them out of their subconscious performance (or flow) state.

— Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Davidsen bucks up her balky husband with a bloodthirsty holler, stiffens her voice against doubt, and, in her final sleepwalking scene, taps into the tender stratum of Lady Macbeth’s subconscious.

— Justin Davidson, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of subconscious

Cite this Entry

Style

“Reflex.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reflex. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of reflex

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on reflex

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

galore

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes