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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of impulses
As a result, the sanctity of the vote could rely on whether other government institutions and, ultimately, the citizenry can also mount a stand against the president’s worst impulses.
—
Toluse Olorunnipa,
The Atlantic,
4 July 2026
After surgery, that device is programmed to send mild electrical impulses that block abnormal nerve signals and dramatically reduce tics.
—
Gabby Sartori,
USA Today,
3 July 2026
The show frames the American project as defined by a longstanding tension between impulses to maintain the status quo and demands for change.
—
Cat Dawson,
ARTnews.com,
3 July 2026
That’s made Montreal the place for the world’s strangest cinephiles to meet every summer and toast genre storytelling’s wildest impulses.
—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
2 July 2026
On June 30, the day begins with Mars in Gemini forming a square to the Nodes of Destiny, creating friction between our immediate impulses and the direction we’re meant to go towards.
—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
30 June 2026
His autodidactic impulses may lead him to the history of clock towers or to the interplanetary rarity of wood.
—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Perhaps one of his impulses was not entirely off base.
—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
22 June 2026
Whereas pain is a primary mode of these antithetical impulses, as are hate, fear, anger and shame.
—
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Toluse Olorunnipa,
The Atlantic,
4 July 2026
After surgery, that device is programmed to send mild electrical impulses that block abnormal nerve signals and dramatically reduce tics.
—
Gabby Sartori,
USA Today,
3 July 2026
The show frames the American project as defined by a longstanding tension between impulses to maintain the status quo and demands for change.
—
Cat Dawson,
ARTnews.com,
3 July 2026
That’s made Montreal the place for the world’s strangest cinephiles to meet every summer and toast genre storytelling’s wildest impulses.
—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
2 July 2026
On June 30, the day begins with Mars in Gemini forming a square to the Nodes of Destiny, creating friction between our immediate impulses and the direction we’re meant to go towards.
—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
30 June 2026
His autodidactic impulses may lead him to the history of clock towers or to the interplanetary rarity of wood.
—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Perhaps one of his impulses was not entirely off base.
—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
22 June 2026
Whereas pain is a primary mode of these antithetical impulses, as are hate, fear, anger and shame.
—
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impulses
Noun
-
Unlike the federal tax credits that expired in September, these incentives offer an instant discount and don’t require buyers to apply for credit later.
-
The attack shocked Monaco, a coastal playground for the rich and famous known for its tax-friendly incentives, royal family and Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Noun
-
The same tendencies people are routinely told to correct are, in moderate form, closely tied to a busier, more exploratory style of thinking than most self-improvement advice accounts for.
-
Plath shows up in Dederer’s book about (mostly) men who make great art and live monstrous lives (and what to do with them), but only as a woman who turns her violent tendencies against herself.
Noun
-
All through the park, competitors and onlookers hit vapes and shout tips and encouragements into trees.
-
In October 2024 ahead of her own stay at MSG, Billie Eilish recorded encouragements to take the subways for environmental benefits.
Noun
-
Getty Choosing a college major has always been a big life decision, influenced by not only personal inclinations and talents, but also by starting salaries.
-
There were inclinations to not fully believe in their capabilities against Argentina.
Noun
-
In reality, each participating party often enters the relationship with different drivers, motivations and expectations.
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Indeed, suspicions of the motivations related to anything that would expose students to more (rather than less) of the neighbor waging war against Ukraine almost derailed the project.
Noun
-
For this class, the premise is that your purpose in life lies to the intersection of your values, your aptitudes and your interests.
-
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.
Noun
-
One of the main impetuses for this is that newer planes are flying further, which means airline routes are getting longer.
Noun
-
In her memoir, Andrews mentions that her children briefly attended UCLA Lab School and that Joanna had affinities for horseback riding and reading.
-
Spanish society has always had a relatively high tolerance for Latin American immigrants, who speak the local language and share certain cultural affinities.
Cite this Entry
“Impulses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impulses. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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