as in automatic
done instantly and without conscious thought or decision
the birds' instinctual response is to fly away when startled
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Recent Examples of instinctual
Zal also praised Zhao’s instinctual approach to filmmaking.
—
Kennedy French, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
Ponds is a physical, instinctual playmaker who plays downhill like a safety in run support, and excels in man or zone coverage.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Collectively, love becomes more instinctual and self-led.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
When Mike sees Holly (Nell Fisher) take over his D&D table, his instinctual protectiveness, even jealousy, soon fades to pride.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Jan. 2026
Because this reaction is instinctual, training a dog to ignore small animals can be hard.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Emotions are often instinctual—fear, for instance, is triggered by threats to survival—and the accompanying sensations prepare the body physiologically to respond, to fight or flee.
—Literary Hub, 25 Nov. 2025
Cubs manager Craig Counsell used three main adjectives to describe the roster — athletic, experienced and instinctual — while empowering his coaching staff to draw out those strengths.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The Cowboys could make a strong case for adding an instinctual player in the second level of their defense, and Logan Wilson is one of the most public trade candidates on the market entering the deadline.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2025
Kennedy French, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
Ponds is a physical, instinctual playmaker who plays downhill like a safety in run support, and excels in man or zone coverage.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Collectively, love becomes more instinctual and self-led.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
When Mike sees Holly (Nell Fisher) take over his D&D table, his instinctual protectiveness, even jealousy, soon fades to pride.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Jan. 2026
Because this reaction is instinctual, training a dog to ignore small animals can be hard.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Emotions are often instinctual—fear, for instance, is triggered by threats to survival—and the accompanying sensations prepare the body physiologically to respond, to fight or flee.
—Literary Hub, 25 Nov. 2025
Cubs manager Craig Counsell used three main adjectives to describe the roster — athletic, experienced and instinctual — while empowering his coaching staff to draw out those strengths.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The Cowboys could make a strong case for adding an instinctual player in the second level of their defense, and Logan Wilson is one of the most public trade candidates on the market entering the deadline.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinctual
Adjective
-
State legislation under consideration would prohibit the sale of new handguns that are designed to be easily converted into fully automatic weapons.—
Cindy Camp,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Resort officials said the gondola stopped due to a mechanical alignment issue that triggered a safety sensor — bringing the lift to an automatic stop, Olympic Regional Development Authority and Gore Mountain said in a statement to Fox News Digital.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The leaf shutter in the lens has a range from bulb to 1/500th of a second and is controlled via a mechanical film advance lever built around brass gears and mechanisms that provides a tactile experience.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
There is, however, something hopeful about the current generation’s instinctive grasp of the significance of 2016.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Yet their emergent/instinctive choices about when to engage AI and how much authority to give it produced fundamentally different collaboration dynamics.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This local reflex system reduces damage, improves safety and makes interactions feel more natural.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Or just a reflex mean-reversion trade in some laggard sectors at a time when the AI theme has become more fragmented and treacherous?—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
4 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Of course, some of the best opportunities to experience the world's game will be unofficial and unplanned—from spontaneous pickup games to late-night football anthem sing-alongs.—
Hannah Towey,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Scientists now think chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is an autoimmune disease, at least for most people.—
Ruth Jessen Hickman,
Health,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Car lots, mechanic shops, and cafes line a forlorn stretch of Route 66 in central Amarillo, but vibrant art galleries, antique shops, restaurants, a bookstore, and record shop are concentrated in a lively 13-block strip of the famed highway west of the central business district.—
Pam LeBlanc,
Southern Living,
3 Jan. 2026
-
In June 2020, the 72-year-old former police officer and mechanic pleaded guilty to 13 counts of first-degree murder and other crimes in order to avoid the death penalty.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
28 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
This past holiday season, to keep up with the Black Friday and Christmas demand, the company added 30% capacity to its robotic fleet.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Fincantieri’s industrial expertise, coupled with the Italian firm’s robotic platform, forms the base for this partnership.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead of analyzing every detail in a scene, the human brain quickly detects sudden motion or change and reacts first.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Demand for cross-border relocation, residency planning and citizenship consultancy services is being driven by geopolitical tensions and sudden policy shifts, advisers who work with ultra-high-net-worth clients told CNBC.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instinctual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinctual. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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