instinctively

adverb

Definition of instinctivelynext
as in intuitively

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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 instinctively People instinctively grab whoever happens to be sitting beside them. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026 Summary Research reveals humans instinctively add solutions to problems, a cognitive default observed in studies where people preferred adding over subtracting, even when removal would yield better results. — Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 An aftershock that struck during an interview Tuesday prompted Vincentius Rano and his wife to instinctively duck and cover their heads. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 Then there could be optical disruption in which the quantum dots emit specific wavelengths of light under ambient conditions that insects instinctively dislike. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026 The late actress however, was instinctively hesitant to sign on. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026 While waiting to board, many travelers instinctively reach for their phones—connecting to Wi-Fi, scrolling social media, or posting a photo of their boarding pass. — Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 26 July 2026 Attendees instinctively ducked under tables and chairs, not knowing what had just happened. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 24 July 2026 Rooftops and Nightcaps Then Merchant & Trade rises above the skyline with the kind of rooftop view that makes people instinctively reach for their phones to capture a few sexy shots before throwing one back. — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instinctively
  1. intuitively
  2. essentially
  3. fundamentally
  4. basically
Adverb
  • There’s some evidence from studying Indigenous cultures that human minds intuitively value the relationship between numbers more than the absolute difference between them.
    — Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Underneath the surface, the Fashion Studio intuitively harnesses the cumulative power of leading AI models without overwhelming the designer with having to learn a new technology to do the same job.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of intuitively
Adverb
  • Nvidia co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang has similarly said that work-life balance is essentially nonexistent for him.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Erik Neander, who as president of baseball operations is essentially in charge of how everyone involved feels, is expectedly optimistic.
    — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of essentially
Adverb
  • That could make life harder for the NCAA in court given that the organization has long argued for deferential treatment on the basis that college sports is a fundamentally different product than pro sports.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • This becomes particularly problematic in the context of generative AI, where the interaction between people and information has fundamentally changed.
    — Ted Ladd, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of fundamentally
Adverb
  • Yet France’s challenges ahead are in many ways the same as California’s — most basically, just how to survive a hotter, more volatile climate with fire dangers that far exceed what was normal just a generation ago.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The concept is basically like a solar eclipse; a coronagraph blocks out the glare of a star such that anything around that star can come into focus.
    — Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of basically

Browse Nearby Words

instinctive
instinctively
instincts
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Cite this Entry

“Instinctively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instinctively. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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