fight-or-flight

American  

[fahyt-er-flahyt] / ˈfaɪt ərˈflaɪt /

adjective

1. causing, caused by, or being the body's physiological response to stress, involving the release of epinephrine and effects such as increased heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, in preparation for self-defense or escape.

---

noun

1. the fight-or-flight response or a situation that elicits it.

fight-or-flight British  

noun

1. (modifier) involving or relating to an involuntary response to stress in which the hormone adrenaline is secreted into the blood in readiness for physical action, such as fighting or running away

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fight-or-flight

As hard as it might be to imagine, so-called “panic scams” can work by triggering stress responses that shift victims into fight-or-flight, impairing rational thought, according to cybersecurity experts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

I froze and wondered if he sensed my fight-or-flight response.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

I started delaying telling friends and family my results until I’d fully come down from the fight-or-flight panic of testing week.

From Slate ● May 6, 2026

The researchers believe that the heightened fight-or-flight activity common in anxiety disorders may increase the brain's demand for choline, which could lower its available levels.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2025

We assumed fight-or-flight positions, some of us crouching with fists raised like boxers, others like sprinters before the starting gun, though no one knew which way to run.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---