as in tendency
a usually innate ability or desire to perform a specific activity
Pouncing on mice is a cat's natural instinct. We needed all of our survival instincts to make it through the weeks lost at sea.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of instinct
Microsoft’s instinct for reinvention was evident from its earliest days.
—
Jackie Snow, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2025
Anunoby’s instincts and aggressiveness defensively have been key to him getting easy baskets in transition, particularly lately.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025
That duality between instinct and calculation is what gives the film its substance.
—Essence, 2 Apr. 2025
But her practice and new book, Lo—TEK Water (Taschen, June 2025), show that same understanding of place and instinct for problem-solving.
—Kate Guadagnino, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instinct
Jackie Snow, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2025
Anunoby’s instincts and aggressiveness defensively have been key to him getting easy baskets in transition, particularly lately.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025
That duality between instinct and calculation is what gives the film its substance.
—Essence, 2 Apr. 2025
But her practice and new book, Lo—TEK Water (Taschen, June 2025), show that same understanding of place and instinct for problem-solving.
—Kate Guadagnino, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinct
Noun
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Understanding Home Bias As mentioned before, home bias is the tendency to over-invest in your home country.—
Cicely Jones,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Traveling East might have been an appropriate tendency for early humans living in what is now Europe near the end of the Ice Age.—
Paul Smaglik,
Discover Magazine,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Path Forward Bridging the manufacturing skills gap requires more than traditional training methods.—
Jerry Dolinsky,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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Tuesday’s sneak peek, of course, also displayed Pitt’s driving skills.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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To be sure, grounding our understanding of racial equality in reality will not be enough, but there are some inclinations of hope.—
Michael W. Kraus,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2025
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Jodie Turner-Smith proves again that her style inclinations are always on point.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This escapement delivers two direct impulses to the balance with each oscillation, ensuring efficiency and a 72-hour power reserve.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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Saxon does show some ability to be flexible, though seemingly more as a move than out of any genuine impulse.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
30 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Helping students develop tools and dispositions for critically evaluating media is more important than ever.—
David Nurenberg,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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The agency finally approved the company’s marketing of tests to determine genetic dispositions to 10 health conditions, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and certain blood clotting disorders, in 2017.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinct. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.
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