From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishreflex actionreflex actionsomething that you do without thinking, as a reaction to a situation →reflexExamples from the Corpusreflex action• You develop a reflex action of reaching for the bowl.• By reflex action - a mechanism of the nervous system - the threatened hand is instantly withdrawn and the threatened eye closed.• His reflex action was to bend and swing round violently, and I was thrown to the ground.• We then moved close and fired from the hip and shoulder in reflex actionshooting.• He caught her arm in mid-air, a deceptively lazyreflex action, his fingersbiting into her forearm.• In a smooth, reflex actionhoned by years of practice, I say no.• The reflex action at this point is to descend into cynicism.