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
While not a typical incident, situations like this can happen in any restaurant kitchen—the knee-jerk reaction is nearly understandable.
—
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Admittedly, my own knee-jerk reaction landed in this category.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
Saylor’s defenders, meanwhile, dismiss critics as knee-jerk Bitcoin detractors who don’t understand the currency or the corporate finance techniques underlying Strategy’s operations.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2025
Questions over his future were confined to the knee-jerk realm of social media after four straight league defeats had derailed Liverpool’s title defence.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Admittedly, my own knee-jerk reaction landed in this category.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
Saylor’s defenders, meanwhile, dismiss critics as knee-jerk Bitcoin detractors who don’t understand the currency or the corporate finance techniques underlying Strategy’s operations.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2025
Questions over his future were confined to the knee-jerk realm of social media after four straight league defeats had derailed Liverpool’s title defence.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knee-jerk
Adjective
-
Each employee gets their own retirement account, with automatic contributions made from their paychecks.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The transistor acts like an automatic switch.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This local reflex system reduces damage, improves safety and makes interactions feel more natural.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Scientists now think chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is an autoimmune disease, at least for most people.—
Ruth Jessen Hickman,
Health,
10 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Knee-jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knee-jerk. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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