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.
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Recent Examples of instinct
She’s known for her sharp instincts and hands-on style, but is stretched thin: reviewing every product tradeoff, attending every design review, and mediating between engineering and sales.
—
Harvard Business Review, 25 Aug. 2025
With Bea’s warning, Lilli realizes her instincts were right: Manu can’t be trusted.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
His man coverage ability paired with his instincts to step up in the run game have provided the defense with some electric moments in the preseason and training camp.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Aug. 2025
Without this, careful, supervised introductions are necessary due to canine chase instincts and felines' territorial nature.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instinct
Harvard Business Review, 25 Aug. 2025
With Bea’s warning, Lilli realizes her instincts were right: Manu can’t be trusted.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
His man coverage ability paired with his instincts to step up in the run game have provided the defense with some electric moments in the preseason and training camp.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Aug. 2025
Without this, careful, supervised introductions are necessary due to canine chase instincts and felines' territorial nature.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinct
Noun
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Sometimes celebrity worshippers have narcissistic features, dissociation, addictive tendencies, stalking behavior and compulsive buying.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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Does the couch have a tendency to sag or do the cushions feel lumpy?—
Melissa Maria,
Architectural Digest,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Sanders is known for his impressive tackling ability, compensating for his rather lackluster skills in coverage.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Aug. 2025
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Every workplace has at least one person whose primary skill is not collaboration but performance.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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An inclination to laugh all the way to the poorhouse?—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
21 Aug. 2025
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For another, any inclination by foreign leaders during Trump's first term to challenge him too directly has been replaced by a strategy of flattery.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Allow the music to weave a story reflecting rock's swagger, refined by Texas country's cocksure and progressive-minded impulses.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
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The impulse to sign Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool dated from well before Ancelotti left, with the England international’s availability seen by the club as a ‘market opportunity’.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The building is one that has been listed as an asset identified for accelerated disposition, meaning it could be sold in the future to save the federal government money.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
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Tessa Delicatessen chopped cheese Sandwich shop owner Vince Howard views the BRT line construction with a sunnier disposition.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinct. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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