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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
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Mamdani has since rebuffed his position on police, instead calling for tactical shifts in operation.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Bayern Munich has seen several public attempts to sign Woltemade rebuffed by the Swabians.
—Manuel Veth, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
His main goal for the summit—a cease-fire—was rejected outright by Putin, and his most modest objective for the meeting—a commitment by Putin to meet directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with Trump in attendance—has thus far been rebuffed by Moscow, as well.
—Michael McFaul, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebuff
Cite this Entry
“Rebuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebuff. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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