fight-or-flight
adjective
: relating to, being, or causing physiological changes in the body (such as an increase in heart rate or dilation of bronchi) in response to stress
epinephrine is a fight-or-flight hormone
a fight-or-flight reaction
Examples of fight-or-flight in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After the trauma has passed, people may feel stuck in a fight-or-flight pattern, dealing with symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, avoidance, negative thinking, and changes in emotional reactions.
—
Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 16 July 2025
During the weeks that the crisis dominated the news, my fight-or-flight response was constantly activated, to a degree that embarrassed me.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Instead, the effect required noradrenaline signaling through part of the sympathetic nervous system, which is primarily responsible for the body’s fight-or-flight response.
—New Atlas, 12 July 2025
Under stress, however, your body naturally shifts into the nervous system’s sympathetic or fight-or-flight mode, driving faster, shallower breaths from the upper chest.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fight-or-flight
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Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 16 July 2025
During the weeks that the crisis dominated the news, my fight-or-flight response was constantly activated, to a degree that embarrassed me.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Instead, the effect required noradrenaline signaling through part of the sympathetic nervous system, which is primarily responsible for the body’s fight-or-flight response.
—New Atlas, 12 July 2025
Under stress, however, your body naturally shifts into the nervous system’s sympathetic or fight-or-flight mode, driving faster, shallower breaths from the upper chest.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fight-or-flight
Cite this Entry
“Fight-or-flight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fight-or-flight. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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