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
Unexpected conversations about money, desire or power can feel destabilizing, especially when creative risks or romantic impulses clash with practical responsibilities.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
The film is a collage of all of those impulses.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 31 Jan. 2026
And those identities sometimes spawn reflexively conservative impulses.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jan. 2026
Mars meeting up with Pluto ignites the heart’s raw impulses.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
The movie’s strongest sequences arrive in the second half, once Aaron begins to shed his most selfish impulses and gets up the nerve to pursue therapy.
—Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026
The administration has long been torn between its nationalist impulses and its alliance with America’s biggest businesses.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Through a series of prison visits with a volunteer named Jackie (Thompson), Nick shares the impulses and consequences that shaped his life.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
And that leads to our current moment, where there aren’t sufficient guardrails to control the impulses of a mad king.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
The film is a collage of all of those impulses.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 31 Jan. 2026
And those identities sometimes spawn reflexively conservative impulses.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jan. 2026
Mars meeting up with Pluto ignites the heart’s raw impulses.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
The movie’s strongest sequences arrive in the second half, once Aaron begins to shed his most selfish impulses and gets up the nerve to pursue therapy.
—Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026
The administration has long been torn between its nationalist impulses and its alliance with America’s biggest businesses.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Through a series of prison visits with a volunteer named Jackie (Thompson), Nick shares the impulses and consequences that shaped his life.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
And that leads to our current moment, where there aren’t sufficient guardrails to control the impulses of a mad king.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impulses
Noun
-
Typically, auto dealerships secure purchase orders from private or public fleet operators interested in buying their zero-emission vehicles at the lower rates facilitated by the state incentives.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Second, Connecticut should create incentives for insurance companies and financial services firms to partner with local training providers on apprenticeship and placement programs.—
Kevin J. Conlan,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In particular, the anything-goes attitude of DIY venue ACS, where Han has performed with local cybergrind artist Supermotel K and Japan’s BBBBBB, has incubated his digital hardcore tendencies.—
James Gui,
Pitchfork,
3 Feb. 2026
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The winter market was not going to be as turbulent as the summer 2025 one had been, but Villa’s tendencies under manager Unai Emery always carry intrigue.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Hints, counsels, warnings, remonstrations, even encouragements are, in the end, of limited value.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This is the standard for ramp inclinations that are usable for most people, especially wheelchair users.—
K. Desbouis,
Artforum,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Trump’s inclinations to make every race about him could foul this for the GOP.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The search warrant affidavit could shed light on the FBI’s motivations in seeking the ballots.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Feb. 2026
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Hayley’s very upset by it, and that upsets Mickey, and that’s probably one of the biggest driving motivations for him, not just to save his own life, but to save his daughter and his family from the ramifications of this.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
7 Feb. 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
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The driving rock guitars and layered vocal textures recall TV on the Radio’s experimentation, and Galanin shares certain vocal and political affinities with Moses Sumney.—
Petala Ironcloud,
Pitchfork,
20 Jan. 2026
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China’s global influence is further constrained by weak cultural affinities with other countries.—
Zongyuan Zoe Liu,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
This suggests the presence of an internal, self-evolving latent variable—independent of external stimuli—that shapes the timing structure of motivation and decision-making.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
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Emotional numbing symptoms, in particular, are known to intensify this pattern of reacting sharply to negative stimuli and then shutting down emotionally.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impulses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impulses. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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