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
Rheana Murray, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025
In August, a court rebuffed Range’s bid to dismiss a claim accusing the company of operating as a rival agency, potentially setting up a thorny battle challenging its business dealings.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 25 Nov. 2025
In a typical setback, Tess learns that she’s been passed over for the executive training program (penalized for rebuffing a superior’s unwelcome advances, to be precise).
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 16 Nov. 2025
But rebuffing an invasion might not end the war.
—Zack Cooper, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 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 30 Nov. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share