instincts

noun

plural of instinct
as in tendencies
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of instincts While data, strategy, and logic are essential to good decision-making, leadership also requires knowing when to trust your instincts. — Shelley Zalis, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Robinson could see Gainwell’s intelligence and instincts watching him on tape. — Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2026 Later, Venus opposes Neptune in your 7th House of Partnership, so someone else’s mixed signals could blur your instincts. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2026 Drake’s midlife crisis is seemingly less about shoring up his legacy as a legendary artist than enshrining himself as a historic main character capable of capturing the public’s attention by appealing to its most base instincts. — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 His vision, instincts and fierce belief in his artists helped shape some of the most important careers in music for more than four decades. — Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026 So how does one balance their instincts with the ability to play within the scheme? — Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026 Marr made a habit of quietly observing Akey last season, trying to pick up on the instincts that made the senior so dominant. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026 In the red zone a few plays later, veteran free agent addition Cobie Durant picked off a Dak Prescott pass intended for CeeDee Lamb in the end zone where Durant broke off his assignment with good instincts and easily picked it off. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instincts
  1. tendencies
  2. skills
  3. inclinations
  4. impulses
  5. dispositions
Noun
  • Using that information, the fitter identifies the head shape, hosel configuration and weighting that best complement the player's natural tendencies.
    — Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The zoological and mythographic tendencies of Caillois are by no means out of place here.
    — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of tendencies
Noun
  • The same skills made college graduates Great Recession-proof and dotcom-bust-proof.
    — Douglas A. Hicks, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026
  • It’s designed for anyone who wants to retain information more effectively, whether that’s preparing for exams, remembering presentations, learning new skills, or simply reducing forgetfulness.
    — StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of skills
Noun
  • Putin will eventually leave office, whether by death, illness, or—against all observable inclinations—stepping aside.
    — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
  • People with gene variants that affect these inclinations may also be at a higher risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes, researchers found.
    — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of inclinations
Noun
  • Angels doesn’t feel architectural in nearly the same way, but the strange impulses and movements of the book are really appealing.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The warring impulses ought to cancel each other out, but Dante orchestrates his films’ elements so deftly that the contradictions enrich each other and create a worldview more distinctive and complex than those of Lucas and Spielberg.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of impulses
Noun
  • The state's Clean Slate legislation addresses the criminal records system itself, including procedures for identifying missing dispositions and correcting incomplete criminal history information.
    — Alonzo Martinez, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The dispositions in the Massachusetts arrests were not immediately clear.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2026
Definition of dispositions

Browse Nearby Words

instinctively
instincts
instinctual
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Cite this Entry

“Instincts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instincts. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on instincts

Nglish: Translation of instincts for Spanish Speakers

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