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
Be careful of sudden impulses to travel or do something unusual.
—
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
For Coiro, the key was treating Italy not as a mere backdrop but an organic extension of the characters’ impulses and feelings — and as a character itself.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 7 Apr. 2026
Children don’t yet have mastery over their impulses, so parents must learn to say no for them.
—Maggie Anders, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
Most people would agree that cheating and planning a school shooting are hardly equal offenses, and Borgli doesn't totally stick the landing by sweeping Emma's past impulses under the rug.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
Early findings show that teens who use more social media display different patterns in executive functioning—skills like paying attention, controlling impulses, and staying organized.
—Crista Marchesseault, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
An uneasy balance The concentration of power around one figure sits uneasily with one of the founding impulses of the 1979 revolution that ushered in the Islamic Republic.
—Roxane Razavi, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026
What the Signals Could Be Doing Previous research has suggested that fungi conduct electrical impulses through hyphae — long, thread-like filaments or tubes — in a way similar to how nerve cells transmit information in humans.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
Previous research established that fungi conduct electrical impulses through hyphae, long thread-like filaments that make up their structure.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
For Coiro, the key was treating Italy not as a mere backdrop but an organic extension of the characters’ impulses and feelings — and as a character itself.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 7 Apr. 2026
Children don’t yet have mastery over their impulses, so parents must learn to say no for them.
—Maggie Anders, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
Most people would agree that cheating and planning a school shooting are hardly equal offenses, and Borgli doesn't totally stick the landing by sweeping Emma's past impulses under the rug.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
Early findings show that teens who use more social media display different patterns in executive functioning—skills like paying attention, controlling impulses, and staying organized.
—Crista Marchesseault, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
An uneasy balance The concentration of power around one figure sits uneasily with one of the founding impulses of the 1979 revolution that ushered in the Islamic Republic.
—Roxane Razavi, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026
What the Signals Could Be Doing Previous research has suggested that fungi conduct electrical impulses through hyphae — long, thread-like filaments or tubes — in a way similar to how nerve cells transmit information in humans.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
Previous research established that fungi conduct electrical impulses through hyphae, long thread-like filaments that make up their structure.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impulses
Noun
-
But their relationship didn’t last, and the movie studios moved on, lured away by new incentives in other states.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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The act also closes a loophole that allowed utility companies to collect extra incentives for volunteering to join a regional grid.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While Heuermann could hold the key to previously-unknown details surrounding the inner workings of a serial killer’s mind, Burgess cautions the ability to work alongside the FBI could feed into any narcissistic tendencies that are frequently observed in the most heinous criminals.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
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Some have been critical of Chiu’s crowd-pleasing tendencies.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
9 Apr. 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
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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
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Samuel Alito’s inclinations have not been hard to discern lately.—
Peter S. Canellos,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Even in the present tense, the characters express no political opinions, taste in movies and music, hobbies—or backstories that shape such inclinations.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
People are complex and their motivations are layered.—
Michael James Rocha,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Most characters aren’t changing, nor are their motivations to change clear to them or novel to us.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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More money is apt to make homeschooling worse and far less tailored to the individual student and their interests and aptitudes by encouraging parents to substitute pricey group programs for the requisite effort of individualized instruction.—
Marie Sapirie,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Szabo’s affinities are hardly a secret.—
Alex Cuadros,
ProPublica,
1 Apr. 2026
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The caveat is jurors and audiences at home are not allowed to vote for their own country; geopolitical affinities or rivalries often supersede talent.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Being in an unfamiliar place, getting poor sleep, and constant stimuli from lights and noise all contribute to delirium.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
11 Apr. 2026
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Patapoutian won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering the role PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 proteins play in sensing mechanical stimuli.—
Jacek Krywko,
Scientific American,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impulses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impulses. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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