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
The knee-jerk reaction is to avoid the stock after such a steep selloff.
From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026
“The knee-jerk reaction to the better jobs report was initial strength, then weakness,” said Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at the Carson Group.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 11, 2026
There is unlikely to be a knee-jerk reaction at Tottenham to Sunday's disappointing loss at Nottingham Forest.
From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025
They didn’t just have a knee-jerk reaction to immediately respond to the text.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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