as in overambitiousness
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Recent Examples of killer instinct
Kate has always been considered to have a killer instinct and able to make these tough moral choices, and not always in the most benevolent way.
—
Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2025
There’s really only one way to prove a killer instinct.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2025
Norris is a one-lap specialist who struggles with starts and lacks the killer instinct to challenge Verstappen.
—Rob Reed, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
The slick shooting, killer instinct, and trash talk combined to create the greatest scorer in WNBA history.
—Zach Harper, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for killer instinct
Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2025
There’s really only one way to prove a killer instinct.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2025
Norris is a one-lap specialist who struggles with starts and lacks the killer instinct to challenge Verstappen.
—Rob Reed, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
The slick shooting, killer instinct, and trash talk combined to create the greatest scorer in WNBA history.
—Zach Harper, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for killer instinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for killer instinct
Noun
-
Traditionally, powdered starch thickens the sauce, but here, grated potato achieves the same effect with less gloopiness.—
The New York Times,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 June 2025
-
Latin American food is often synonymous with juicy meats and savory starches, from churrasco to rice and beans.—
Taryn White,
Forbes.com,
5 May 2025
Noun
-
Fried has been everything and more the Yankees could have hoped for, getting to 8-1 through his first 11 starts with the mix of dominance and grit.—
Larry Fleisher,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
Rather than wait for wildlife officials to take management action, a few islanders are taking matters into their own hands with a plan full of small-town grit.—
Alice Jones Webb,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
His band, which included former San Diego guitarist Jose Rios, played with spunk and well-calibrated precision whether delivering uptempo funk and hip-hop numbers, tender R&B love songs or slinky reggae grooves.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 May 2025
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Owing to her Western spunk, talent for deduction, ability to identify a tobacco scent Holmes cannot and the detective’s need for a sidekick, she’s made his assistant.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Add Lowry to the list of professional golfers who lost in heartbreaking fashion and did not have the gumption to stand up and face the music.—
Kendall Capps,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 May 2025
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In addition to curiosity and resourcefulness, Perino says writing skills and a healthy dose of gumption can sometimes produce good results.—
Rodger Dean Duncan,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But Belvidere is roaring back because of its own pluck.—
Laurent Belsie,
Christian Science Monitor,
19 May 2025
-
Camille Rutherford brings the right amount of pluck and uncertainty as the perpetually single Parisian bookseller Agathe, a lover of books and words.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
His office by that morning, two months after his death, had been emptied of its personalizing artifacts, those material traces of experience and spirit.—
Donovan Hohn
June 13,
Literary Hub,
13 June 2025
-
Health issues ended the tour early, almost exactly a year ago, but Neil quickly recruited the Chrome Hearts, with the same initials but also the same fighting spirit. Not to mention the same guitarist — 34-year-old Micah Nelson, who saw his first Neil show at his dad’s Fourth of July Picnic.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
13 June 2025
Noun
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That’s why Telefilm is investing heavily in initiatives that connect Canadian creators with global markets, including First Look, which introduces Canadian films in post-production to U.S. sales agents and festival programmers.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
9 June 2025
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In March 2024, Galassi formally notified the Italian oversight committee of the buyback initiative.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
9 June 2025
Noun
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In the nineteen-sixties, Lebanon had explored an attempt at self-reliance.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
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While China’s push to expand its manufacturing capabilities is part of its goal to achieve self-reliance, especially in high-tech sectors, this could run counter to the Trump administration’s demands that China address its trade imbalances, experts warn.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Killer instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/killer%20instinct. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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