1
as in incentives
something that arouses action or activity
the new auto factory was just the impulse that the local economy needed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tendencies
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
the universal, fundamental impulse of self-preservation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impulses
We’re constantly told that the internet highlights our most selfish, divided or angry impulses.
—
Simon Rogers, CNBC, 6 May 2026
Now working as a duo, the erstwhile bedroom-pop project embraces its gnarliest impulses on its third album, finding unexpected hope amid clouds of distortion and anxious lyrics.
—Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
There are more impulses and ideas than can be dramatically metabolized.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Because at its core, this legal drama that revolves around artificial intelligence is actually rooted in the very human impulses of kinship, greed, betrayal, and power.
—Tom Dotan, Vanity Fair, 27 Apr. 2026
Bell, whose screen roles have long radiated decency and sensitivity, channels that guilelessness once more, only to expose it as yet another façade that helps Niall to conceal his darker impulses.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
With SpaceX, Muskism’s pursuit of state symbiosis converged with the privatizing impulses of the early 21st century to find a deeper channel.
—Ben Tarnoff, Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026
The one nation that could restrain his worst impulses — us — enables them instead.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
Under this influence, our collective impulses are louder as the need for independence is undeniable.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Simon Rogers, CNBC, 6 May 2026
Now working as a duo, the erstwhile bedroom-pop project embraces its gnarliest impulses on its third album, finding unexpected hope amid clouds of distortion and anxious lyrics.
—Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
There are more impulses and ideas than can be dramatically metabolized.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Because at its core, this legal drama that revolves around artificial intelligence is actually rooted in the very human impulses of kinship, greed, betrayal, and power.
—Tom Dotan, Vanity Fair, 27 Apr. 2026
Bell, whose screen roles have long radiated decency and sensitivity, channels that guilelessness once more, only to expose it as yet another façade that helps Niall to conceal his darker impulses.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
With SpaceX, Muskism’s pursuit of state symbiosis converged with the privatizing impulses of the early 21st century to find a deeper channel.
—Ben Tarnoff, Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026
The one nation that could restrain his worst impulses — us — enables them instead.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
Under this influence, our collective impulses are louder as the need for independence is undeniable.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impulses
Noun
-
Rethinking the tax code BofA said AI will increase pressure on governments to provide wage insurance, enhanced unemployment benefits, reskilling incentives, and tax reform to ensure the gains from AI don’t concentrate in too few hands.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
-
Provide state incentives for the expansion of private practitioners to take on 20% cliental of low-income, homeless and physically impaired patients to pay zero fees for services rendered.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Americans of all political tendencies increasingly favor sweeping, disorienting political change.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
7 May 2026
-
With the Jax-sized hole in the cast, the narcissistic tendencies in the other men become more glaring, showing how covert mistreatment can slowly chip away at a relationship.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
All through the park, competitors and onlookers hit vapes and shout tips and encouragements into trees.—
Calin Van Paris,
Outside,
19 Mar. 2026
-
In October 2024 ahead of her own stay at MSG, Billie Eilish recorded encouragements to take the subways for environmental benefits.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Who knew that such daring would lead to a film that avoids these inclinations entirely, especially one that could have so easily leaned into controversial territory?—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Samuel Alito’s inclinations have not been hard to discern lately.—
Peter S. Canellos,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Asking a musician about their influences can elicit a boiler plate response revealing little about their mindset and motivations.—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
-
The difference between a genuinely pro-family agenda and a coercive one lies in the underlying assumptions and motivations.—
Sonya Borrero,
STAT,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
For this class, the premise is that your purpose in life lies to the intersection of your values, your aptitudes and your interests.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
-
This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.—
GRACIA LIU-FARRER,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Its formal and ontological affinities with dysfunction, fragmentation, and violence would seem to render that debt proverbial to the point of cliché.—
Ara H. Merjian,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Today, costly and time-consuming coachbuilding acts as a mirror for the owner’s personal style and affinities, all the while displaying the status of having formed such a close connection with a brand that you’re invited to commission something singular.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Migraine Triggers Increase Brain Sensitivity Research indicates that people prone to migraines have a nervous system that reacts more strongly to triggers such as stress, hormones, or sensory stimuli.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
30 Apr. 2026
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The decision model positions the black box in a broader scenario that shows the interaction of external and internal stimuli as well as consumer responses.—
Félix Ortega MohedanoAll,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impulses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impulses. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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