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
Be careful about knee-jerk reactions to others.
—
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 31 Mar. 2025
So my knee-jerk reaction when Drag Race goes full bore into sentimentality is to roll my eyes a bit and hunker down for a segment that doesn’t speak to me.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025
Smart, strategic moves will always beat knee-jerk reactions.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
Today, there can be knee-jerk horror when one of those potentially vulnerable people criticizes intimacy coordination at all.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 31 Mar. 2025
So my knee-jerk reaction when Drag Race goes full bore into sentimentality is to roll my eyes a bit and hunker down for a segment that doesn’t speak to me.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025
Smart, strategic moves will always beat knee-jerk reactions.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
Today, there can be knee-jerk horror when one of those potentially vulnerable people criticizes intimacy coordination at all.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knee-jerk
Adjective
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Many of these duties are automatic, such as confidentiality between professionals (e.g. doctors, lawyers and accountant and their clients).—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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Request an automatic extension while filing through IRS Free File. File Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return by mail, through an e-filing option or with a tax professional.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But ultimately, the week ended with a pretty good array of extremes in selling pressure and hedging demand of the sort that should turn the risk-reward more favorable for a reflex bounce before too long.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
5 Apr. 2025
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The reflex reaction would be to suggest that without Stiller and Goretzka, Germany lost control in midfield.—
Manuel Veth,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And if your dishwasher rattles even on an empty load, this does indicate mechanical problems.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Jan. 2025
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With a magnesium body wrapped around Chevy’s 283-cubic-inch V-8, the experimental machine was entered in the 1957 12 Hours of Sebring but only completed 23 laps before mechanical issues forced its exit.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Few inspire spontaneous ovations in public places, like the one U.S. Rep. John Larson received last month at Bradley airport.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2025
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The Women’s March was highly organized and concentrated, while the protests in June 2020 were largely spontaneous and spread out.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The team embodied a collaborative spirit where creativity and cohesion were instinctive, making the experience refreshingly effortless.—
Jeetendr Sehdev,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
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Our brains rely on instinctive, fast thinking (System 1) and deliberate, analytical thinking (System 2) to navigate decisions.—
Ashley B. Stewart,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The lander's robotic drill and scoop collected 4.27 lbs (1.935 kilograms) of basaltic regolith from the SPA basin before returning it to Earth.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Or mostly robotic, at least—the fruit flies the researchers used would occasionally go their own way, despite strong inducements to stay with the program.—
John Timmer,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The fraught legal battle is also taking place amid a sudden round of visa revocations among international students at some of the country’s top universities, with college officials left unprepared and searching for answers from the government.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2025
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Don’t be surprised if your insights come through unconventional means — like a sudden dream, a deep gut feeling or even a meaningful synchronicity that guides you toward a new direction.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In the footage, a large coastal carpet python rests on a mechanic shop's floor.—
Kelli Bender,
People.com,
12 Mar. 2025
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His current mechanic shop is basically a retirement hobby, something to pass the time.—
Zach Helfand,
The New Yorker,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knee-jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knee-jerk. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
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