Meaning & use
fight-or-flight
The body's automatic physiological reaction to a perceived threat, preparing it to either confront the danger or escape it.
See it in a sentence
Her heart raced and her palms sweated as the fight-or-flight response kicked in during the near-collision.
Public speaking can trigger a mild fight-or-flight reaction even in experienced speakers.
A note on using this word
The phrase is usually used as a compound adjective before a noun, as in fight-or-flight response or fight-or-flight reaction.
Words with a similar meaning
stress response
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
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