IMPULSES Synonyms: 105 Similar and Opposite Words

impulses

noun

plural of impulse

as in incentives

something that arouses action or activity the new auto factory was just the impulse that the local economy needed

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in tendencies

a habitual attraction to some activity or thing the universal, fundamental impulse of self-preservation

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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 Being in a state of desire produces physical reactions that are difficult to manufacture — sweat, blood rushing, dilated pupils — while offering up the human impulses behind the work, like what excites a designer and what they’re drawn to. — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026 This monster is a twisted version of the ideal parent, a collection of traditional maternal impulses pushed to almost comical extremes. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026 John, especially, after the publication of his second book of nonsense verse and stories, had finally cottoned onto the idea of putting some of his literary impulses to good use in song, resulting in some of his most haunting Beatles-era tracks. — Darryn King, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 Neuroscientists Alan Hodgkin and Andrew Huxley won the 1963 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their work on capturing and measuring the electrical impulses that neurons create. — Kimberlee D'ardenne, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026 The ability to manage one’s thoughts, regulate emotions, and restrain impulses is key to a happy and healthy life. — Joan M. Cook, Time, 3 Oct. 2026 The impulses and outcomes of police work follow a choreographic sensibility as well. — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 Those two impulses may have agreed with one another in something with a more polished pedigree; in Verity, though, their intersection loudly clanks. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026 Rothman’s creative impulses turned into Here Lies Love / Sawdust to Stardust, their 13-track LP that dropped on Friday via KRO Records. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impulses

Noun

Companies have plenty of incentives to make that advertising palatable to consumers, but Ireland believes ads will play a role one way or another.

— Allison Johnson, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2026
The city of Mission ultimately pulled the plug on its tax incentives and threw out the redevelopment agreement.

— Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of incentives

Noun

Pressure, uncertainty and stress can change the way familiar strengths and behavioral tendencies show up.

— Paula Johnston, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
As one of several players vying for time at cornerback, Auslander knew his ability to read opposing offenses’ intentions and receivers’ tendencies was critical.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 3 Oct. 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

And a lot of the time, people who have these kinds of inclinations towards children are people who were children who were abused themselves.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
The trustees feared that if something happened to him, his heir apparent, Robert Kahn, would replace him, and it was known that Kahn had Zionistic inclinations.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of inclinations

Noun

Appropriate enough, since the two have just spent nearly an hour discussing energy — namely, the source of their own inner motivations to create.

— Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2026
The signatures of these AI leaders might not reveal much about their intentions or their motivations.

— Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 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

With its affinities for isolation and, at times, imposing scale, Land art conjures archaeology and the geological sublime—vast expanses of space and time.

— Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
The looks were presented in pairs to highlight affinities, variations and visual echoes that reflect the designers’ methodology and approach rooted in the principle of duality.

— Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of affinities

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“Impulses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impulses. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of impulses

noun

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