homing instinct
noun
: an ability to return home from a great distance
an animal with a homing instinct
Examples of homing instinct in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Notably, female sea turtles exhibit a strong homing instinct, often returning to the exact beach where they were born to lay their own eggs.
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Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024
Burrowing owls have a homing instinct that gives them a tendency to return to where they were born, explained Christina Schaefer, a private biologist and conservancy board member.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2024
Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024
Burrowing owls have a homing instinct that gives them a tendency to return to where they were born, explained Christina Schaefer, a private biologist and conservancy board member.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'homing instinct.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near homing instinct
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“Homing instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homing%20instinct. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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