as in overambitiousness
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 killer instinct
But not everyone has that same killer instinct.
—
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Dec. 2025
One quality that distinguishes the very best chess players is killer instinct, an almost animalistic will to win.
—Jordan Himelfarb, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
Some in the organization have voiced the opinion that the Padres need to have more of a collective killer instinct and that getting more consistency out of some star players could help achieve that.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025
Michael Jordan is one of the greatest ever to pick up a basketball, given his illustrious resume, but another major facet that has added to the lore surrounding him is his killer instinct and competitive nature.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for killer instinct
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Dec. 2025
One quality that distinguishes the very best chess players is killer instinct, an almost animalistic will to win.
—Jordan Himelfarb, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
Some in the organization have voiced the opinion that the Padres need to have more of a collective killer instinct and that getting more consistency out of some star players could help achieve that.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025
Michael Jordan is one of the greatest ever to pick up a basketball, given his illustrious resume, but another major facet that has added to the lore surrounding him is his killer instinct and competitive nature.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for killer instinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for killer instinct
Noun
-
To create a smoother, creamier product, many commercial oat milk products use amylase enzymes, which break down the starch in oats into simpler sugars, like maltose.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In 2025, researchers in southern Oregon found starch granules that reveal how Native Americans processed food thousands of years ago.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hard work, vision, grit all got her there.—
Wendy Naugle,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Philadelphia embodied the grit of a city on Friday night.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Grossmont showed some spunk, rallying for three runs in the bottom of the inning.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
An essay that lacks the rough edges, occasional clunky vocabulary, or endearing spunk of imperfect teenage writing can quickly indicate over-coaching (or, perhaps worse, the use of AI).—
Christopher Rim,
Forbes.com,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Edward Montoya plays Fingal as an idealistic young writer, fresh out of Harvard, with little practical experience but a lot of ability and gumption.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Clearly, the interior designer known as Dabito—Dab, for short—does not lack for gumption.—
Ingrid Abramovitch,
Architectural Digest,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When those practitioners are taken away from patients, our pluck and determination waver.—
Mindy Uhrlaub,
STAT,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The opening guitar plucks received loads of low-mid resonance and crisp string textures, and when the track fully kicked in, each element in the busy mix got plenty of attention and detail.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There was more spirit, resilience and fight against Roberto De Zerbi’s side than Wolves had displayed in the second half of the 4-0 defeat at West Ham and almost the entirety of the 3-0 reverse at Leeds United.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The yarns of Joe Turner interweave gradually, everyday chit-chat, bargaining, and flirtation interlocking over time with threads of mysticism — both the ghosts of a brutal history and the ancestral spirits that stand protective and defiant like a phalanx of angels with shining swords.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, Charles is expected to visit a grassroots community organization, Harlem Grown, which created a sustainable after-school urban farming initiative in an effort to combat food insecurity.—
Emma Caughlan,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
-
At Morgan Lewis, Rinehart will work closely with Colleen Nihill, the chief AI and knowledge management officer, to align on the firm’s data and AI initiatives.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Dangote also used the forum to push back on pessimism about African self-reliance.—
Adrian Elimian,
semafor.com,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The latest spending strategy would focus on Australian self-reliance, which should not be confused with military self-sufficiency, Marles said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Killer instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/killer%20instinct. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
