presence of mind

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.

James Justin wriggled free inside the Forest area and when his shot was saved by Ortega, he had the presence of mind to square the rebound to Okafor, who slotted home from 10 yards.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

I think you deserve a gold medal if you have the presence of mind to even say, “I would like to be less reactive moving forward.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2025

"For me, being a snake is not about elaborate schemes and lying or anything unscrupulous. It's just having the presence of mind to account for everything," my mom told me.

From Salon • Jan. 29, 2025

Mia had the presence of mind to ask Chris a favor.

From Slate • Jan. 13, 2025

And now they would go to their homes to pray that Gaines would have the presence of mind to throw heads if it should be heads, or tails if it should be tails.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger