as in reflex
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Recent Examples of Pavlovian
Nostalgia plays a part too, of course, as those of us who came of age in the VHS era have an almost Pavlovian response to the look and feel of those chunky black tapes.
—
Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 31 Jan. 2025
Those who follow the teachings of Warren Buffett know only to invest via index funds in a Pavlovian fashion.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2024
Every other outcome only reinforces his Pavlovian impulse to belittle, attack and dominate.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 7 May 2024
Hopefully, though, no one will subsequently suffer from a Pavlovian pee.
—Sarah Nechamkin, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2024
Just as red-leather booths and dark oak paneling trigger the Pavlovian expectation of a frigid martini and a glistening rib-eye, intimate counters from Omaha to Austin to Chicago to Denver promise a multicourse procession of jewel-like fish flown overnight from Japan.
—Brett Anderson, New York Times, 21 May 2024
The regularity of her calls transformed me into a Pavlovian dog.
—Cheryl Maguire, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2024
Byredo Tree House Candle The smell of this candle has a Pavlovian effect on me.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 15 Feb. 2024
And there’s no small irony, of course, that this is Slack doing this survey—the same workplace messaging app that lets coworkers contact you at all hours (even if there are good tools to silence that Pavlovian ding).
—Jena McGregor, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023
Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 31 Jan. 2025
Those who follow the teachings of Warren Buffett know only to invest via index funds in a Pavlovian fashion.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2024
Every other outcome only reinforces his Pavlovian impulse to belittle, attack and dominate.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 7 May 2024
Hopefully, though, no one will subsequently suffer from a Pavlovian pee.
—Sarah Nechamkin, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2024
Just as red-leather booths and dark oak paneling trigger the Pavlovian expectation of a frigid martini and a glistening rib-eye, intimate counters from Omaha to Austin to Chicago to Denver promise a multicourse procession of jewel-like fish flown overnight from Japan.
—Brett Anderson, New York Times, 21 May 2024
The regularity of her calls transformed me into a Pavlovian dog.
—Cheryl Maguire, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2024
Byredo Tree House Candle The smell of this candle has a Pavlovian effect on me.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 15 Feb. 2024
And there’s no small irony, of course, that this is Slack doing this survey—the same workplace messaging app that lets coworkers contact you at all hours (even if there are good tools to silence that Pavlovian ding).
—Jena McGregor, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Pavlovian
Adjective
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When the reflex actions are prevented, those muscle movements that ultimately cause the quick spoilage don’t occur.—
Simon Mainwaring,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
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Basal tears keep the eye moist, while reflex tears are meant to protect the eye from irritants like dust.—
Jeremy Engle,
New York Times,
25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The trio navigates the emotional weight of the story with a delicate synchronicity that peels back the layers of trauma brimming within Darcy’s subconscious, threatening to drag Daphne’s creative spirit down with him.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
24 Jan. 2025
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But in that cozy enclave where the subconscious lives of men and women would be plumbed, there was some doubt that a woman doctor would have anything of value to contribute.—
Marcy Thompson,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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For all his revolutionary ideals, Valentin is bound by macho ideals, while Molina understands in a visceral way the fluidity of gender.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 Jan. 2025
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Its dramatic mechanics and aesthetics never quite coalesce into something appropriately visceral, spiritual, or meaningful, despite the story’s frequent symbolism.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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As the protagonist Ben in Night of the Living Dead (1968), Duane Jones unveiled a distinct facet of pre-conditioned Black martyrdom.—
Malik Peay,
Rolling Stone,
7 Feb. 2023
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Is the show of regret a conditioned response associated with receiving a less severe punishment?—
Charlotte Hu,
Discover Magazine,
31 July 2011
Adjective
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But in the bigger picture, this is about the glaring void on the roster and some subliminal nudging from Kerr and Curry in the lead-up to the Feb. 6 deadline.—
Anthony Slater,
The Athletic,
23 Jan. 2025
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There’s an almost subliminal call to action among the layers of subtext in SLY LIVES!—
Naima Cochrane,
VIBE.com,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Given the importance that Iraola places on a reactive defensive shape, his players always prepared to jump up in support of team-mates who have pushed on ahead, Soler’s intuition, speed and concentration clearly fit the bill.—
Thom Harris,
The Athletic,
6 Feb. 2025
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Embed Change Management Into Daily Operations Organizations must shift from reactive change management to proactive, integrated strategies.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Three years after her mother’s passing, Houston’s daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown shared an eerily similar fate when she was also found unconscious in a bathtub, then reported dead almost six months later in hospice care. Jan. 31, 2025, marked 10 years since Brown was found unconscious.—
Arabella Hau,
People.com,
2 Feb. 2025
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Breaking The Chains Of Unconscious Patterns Through Touch Over time, couples fall into unconscious patterns—repeating the same ways of touching, communicating or even avoiding each other.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Founded in Paris 250 years ago, Abraham-Louis Breguet was one of the most influential watchmakers in history, best known for inventing the tourbillon and the automatic winding system—along with many other groundbreaking innovations.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
6 Feb. 2025
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Mirroring of intransitive actions, also called automatic imitation, can be measured with what’s called a stimulus-response-compatibility (SRC) test.—
Ashley Belanger,
Ars Technica,
6 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near Pavlovian
Cite this Entry
“Pavlovian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pavlovian. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
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