knee jerk

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.

"Everyone recognizes there is a growing antibiotic resistance crisis, and the knee jerk reaction is to develop new antibiotics," You added.

From Science Daily • Feb. 22, 2024

But a former cabinet minister - strongly opposed to withdrawal - described the idea as "knee jerk nonsense".

From BBC • Aug. 8, 2023

“The knee jerk pullback in the euro/dollar suggests some were positioned for something more hawkish from the ECB,” Societe Generale currency strategist Kenneth Broux, said.

From Reuters • Apr. 14, 2022

“I feel changing it because of criminal activity is a knee jerk rection and it’s not going to change anything,” she said last week.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 24, 2022

Facilitation of the patellar reflex or "knee jerk".

From Psychology A Study Of Mental Life by Woodworth, Robert S.