Did you know?
Many English verbs begin with the prefix re-, meaning “again” or “backward,” so we wouldn’t criticize you for drawing a connection between rebuff and buff, a verb meaning “to polish or shine.” But rebuff would beg to differ: this word comes to us from the Middle French verb rebuffer, which traces back to the Old Italian ribuffare, meaning “to reprimand.” (Buff, in contrast, comes from the Middle French noun buffle, meaning “wild ox”). A similar word, rebuke, shares the “criticize” sense of rebuff, but not the “reject” sense; one can rebuke another’s actions or policies, but one does not rebuke the advances of another, for example. Like rebuke, rebuff can also be used as a noun, as in “The proposal was met with a stern rebuff from the Board of Trustees.”
Examples of rebuff in a Sentence
Sarah Davis, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2026
The decision rebuffs a request from the board’s chairman, John Mark Davidson, who said videos circulating online that appeared to show city officers alongside immigration agents underscored the need for routine reporting for transparency and community trust.
—Chase Rogers, Dallas Morning News, 13 Jan. 2026
At the start of 2025, though, Perez and Albritton took the rare step of rebuffing the governor by denying his plan for a special session on immigration and pushing through their own legislation instead.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
In contrast, Illinois political leaders have rebuffed attempts by the Bears to get public funding to stay in Chicago, or to get legislation to let the team negotiate property taxes in Arlington Heights.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebuff
Cite this Entry
“Rebuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebuff. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
Copy Citation
