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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Recent Examples of knee-jerk
For many jacaranda lovers, the labor of preservation was a knee-jerk reaction, like shielding a child from a blow.
—
Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
Markets are packed with knee-jerk reactions, and the entire idea behind mean reversion is to spot these overreactions and take a contrarian stance — stepping in with a trade in the opposite direction.
—Nishant Pant, CNBC, 24 June 2025
For Nimmo and other veterans, any seven-game stretch in a baseball season leads to knee-jerk reactions.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 22 June 2025
Investors are also bracing for a knee-jerk stock selloff Monday, with analysts warning that surging oil prices and further escalation could trigger an extended rout.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
Markets are packed with knee-jerk reactions, and the entire idea behind mean reversion is to spot these overreactions and take a contrarian stance — stepping in with a trade in the opposite direction.
—Nishant Pant, CNBC, 24 June 2025
For Nimmo and other veterans, any seven-game stretch in a baseball season leads to knee-jerk reactions.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 22 June 2025
Investors are also bracing for a knee-jerk stock selloff Monday, with analysts warning that surging oil prices and further escalation could trigger an extended rout.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for knee-jerk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knee-jerk
Adjective
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This grass chopper is easy to set up, runs quietly, boasts a solid battery life and automatic charging, and easily maps your mowing area (even with obstacles).—
Jade Chung-Lee,
PC Magazine,
12 July 2025
-
But this went from an idea that was an automatic community win to an example of desperate nickel and diming.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
That leads to the second category: a simple reflex agent with state.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
Some bass-heavy speakers can create an annoying booming sound from the reflex port at the rear of the speaker.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
Adjective
-
Driving through deep water can also negatively affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
10 July 2025
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The ocean water turns red, as a (usually unseen) mechanical shark chews up people in the surf or somehow on top of a boat.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Relatedly, many people become more open to spontaneous thinking in the evening, when the brain is less focused and inhibited.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
10 July 2025
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This exhilarating transit could spark a need for spontaneous self-expression and creative freedom.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
His high tackle-success rate and ability to recover loose balls highlight both positional awareness and sharp instinctive timing.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
12 July 2025
-
The removal of living beings from their natural environment, along with the massive scale of human intervention, can be just as pernicious as the instinctive and selfish destruction that is often overlooked.—
PhotoVogue,
Vogue,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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So marketers are faced with the challenge of adapting once again to a new reality, where buying isn’t driven by emotional response but by algorithms and robotic logic.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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In a warehouse setting, this means robotic arms could inspect the contents of packages moving down a conveyor belt without unpacking them.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
Adjective
-
In one particularly raw moment, a woman studying the photographs let out a sudden shriek.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
12 July 2025
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The tragedy in Ruidoso highlights growing concerns about increasingly intense weather systems striking communities with little time to prepare for sudden surges of water.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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Another customer says the soap works wonders for their mechanic husband and is powerful enough to remove dirt and grease.—
Jessie Quinn,
StyleCaster,
10 July 2025
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Before becoming a cofounder, Hildreth worked in roles that many would dismiss as mundane: mechanic, logistics officer and government contractor.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knee-jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knee-jerk. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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