knee-jerk reaction
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Defence Secretary John Healey said he believed the prime minister could "still turn this around" while Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warned against a "knee-jerk reaction" to the results.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
That kind of knee-jerk reaction seems ripe to even out as panic gives way to more measured trading.
From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026
So the recent woes of the sector are just a knee-jerk reaction to seeing a handful of cockroaches lurking around in the home.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 6, 2025
An employment tribunal found Police Scotland directly discriminated against the pair because of their sex and the decision to withdraw their firearms "amounted to a knee-jerk reaction in response to adverse media coverage".
From BBC • Sep. 2, 2025
It’s a knee-jerk reaction, so fast I forget for a second that I’m furious at him.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
