impulses

noun

plural of impulse
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

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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of impulses Angels doesn’t feel architectural in nearly the same way, but the strange impulses and movements of the book are really appealing. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026 The warring impulses ought to cancel each other out, but Dante orchestrates his films’ elements so deftly that the contradictions enrich each other and create a worldview more distinctive and complex than those of Lucas and Spielberg. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026 Roberts’s opinion took no heed of the current President’s autocratic impulses. — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 The rise of Black power influenced Chicano activism, and many Mexican Americans increasingly shed illusions that they could be seen as white, at least legally so, and rejected assimilationist impulses. — Eladio Bobadilla, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026 The Venezuelan artist’s latest LP harks back to her experimental mixtapes &&&&& and @@@@@, trading the KiCK series’ pop and reggaeton impulses for confrontational, uncompromising electronic sounds. — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026 Unfortunately, the spoiled former king is incapable of suppressing his royal impulses enough to make that an easy feat. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 3 Aug. 2026 Bardstown Bourbon Company, which is well known for indulging its experimental impulses, decided to blend together bourbon and rye and finish it in pineapple rum barrels with pieces of pineapple added to the whiskey for good measure. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 2 Aug. 2026 An animal story set in motion by the basest human impulses—though also distinguished by some of our best—the novel is tied deeply into both ancient literary tradition and tragically perennial concerns. — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impulses
  1. incentives
  2. tendencies
  3. encouragements
  4. inclinations
  5. motivations
  6. aptitudes
  7. impetuses
  8. affinities
Noun
  • What mattered was whether traffic could improve, whether franchisees could earn acceptable returns, whether management incentives were aligned, and whether capital allocation could change.
    — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Reach of local media adds to the equation The decline of local media may also be changing the incentives around debates.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of incentives
Noun
  • Catholics have frequently exemplified the best and worst tendencies of American society.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The group will have paramount responsibility in a UCLA offense set to feature optionality and run-pass-option tendencies.
    — Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of tendencies
Noun
  • Many folks send encouragements toward OP mom and her son, while others put heat on the other parents for sexualizing their kids’ friendship.
    — DeVonne Goode, Parents, 26 July 2026
  • All through the park, competitors and onlookers hit vapes and shout tips and encouragements into trees.
    — Calin Van Paris, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
Definition of encouragements
Noun
  • Putin will eventually leave office, whether by death, illness, or—against all observable inclinations—stepping aside.
    — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
  • People with gene variants that affect these inclinations may also be at a higher risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes, researchers found.
    — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of inclinations
Noun
  • As franchise valuations continue to climb, leagues like the NBA and even the NFL are welcoming new types of deal structures from new types of buyers with new types of motivations.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, a square between Mars and Neptune retrograde is slowly coming together, becoming exact tomorrow, which can make our desires and motivations all the more perplexing.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of motivations
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
Definition of aptitudes
Noun
  • One of the main impetuses for this is that newer planes are flying further, which means airline routes are getting longer.
    — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 June 2025
Definition of impetuses
Noun
  • The dragons are identical to those seen on screen and each possess unique passive Habit abilities, troop affinities and powerful synergies.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
  • This week, Margot Robbie, Jennifer Lawrence, and Kristen Stewart all planted a flag, making their personal jorts affinities known.
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of affinities

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impulse
impulses
impulsion
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Cite this Entry

“Impulses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impulses. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of impulses for Spanish Speakers

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