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
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Recent Examples of impulses
Writers who used to hide their masculinist impulses behind a pen name now write and say outrageous things under their real name.
—
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Amid the early-spring lightness of the filmmaking, Fukada values softly plainspoken earnestness of emotion, as his repressed, recessive characters learn to listen to their own impulses in the general stillness that surrounds them.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 May 2026
All of these characters come off as fighting powerful impulses within themselves, which is a credit to the directing team of Devon Hayakawa and Trent Stork.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
So many women like my mother channeled their creative impulses into conventional mediums.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
The instinct to step in when a child is about to do something foolish is one of the hardest parental impulses to override.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 7 May 2026
We’re constantly told that the internet highlights our most selfish, divided or angry impulses.
—Simon Rogers, CNBC, 6 May 2026
Now working as a duo, the erstwhile bedroom-pop project embraces its gnarliest impulses on its third album, finding unexpected hope amid clouds of distortion and anxious lyrics.
—Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
There are more impulses and ideas than can be dramatically metabolized.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Amid the early-spring lightness of the filmmaking, Fukada values softly plainspoken earnestness of emotion, as his repressed, recessive characters learn to listen to their own impulses in the general stillness that surrounds them.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 May 2026
All of these characters come off as fighting powerful impulses within themselves, which is a credit to the directing team of Devon Hayakawa and Trent Stork.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
So many women like my mother channeled their creative impulses into conventional mediums.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
The instinct to step in when a child is about to do something foolish is one of the hardest parental impulses to override.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 7 May 2026
We’re constantly told that the internet highlights our most selfish, divided or angry impulses.
—Simon Rogers, CNBC, 6 May 2026
Now working as a duo, the erstwhile bedroom-pop project embraces its gnarliest impulses on its third album, finding unexpected hope amid clouds of distortion and anxious lyrics.
—Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
There are more impulses and ideas than can be dramatically metabolized.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impulses
Noun
-
Other approaches try to battle the countervailing incentives with fancier math.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
11 May 2026
-
To fill the void left by streamers, Nigeria is attracting new productions and investment through tax incentives and industry reforms.—
Daron James,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Noun
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But over time, these tendencies have taken their toll.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
The movie only hints at the underlying social tendencies that a populist exploits.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 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
-
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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Who knew that such daring would lead to a film that avoids these inclinations entirely, especially one that could have so easily leaned into controversial territory?—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Samuel Alito’s inclinations have not been hard to discern lately.—
Peter S. Canellos,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But motivations diverge wildly at this stage of a season, making fixture difficulty tricky to assess.—
Ayo Akinwolere,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
-
With The Boys teasing a return for Aya Cash‘s Stormfront in the upcoming prequel series, Eric Kripke has no plans to retcon her motivations.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
10 May 2026
Noun
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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
Noun
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While tons of beauty professionals have ties, affinities, and contractual obligations with designer brands, many swear by drugstore or equally accessible products to get their clients star-worthy outcomes.—
Gina Vaynshteyn,
StyleCaster,
11 May 2026
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Its formal and ontological affinities with dysfunction, fragmentation, and violence would seem to render that debt proverbial to the point of cliché.—
Ara H. Merjian,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Migraine Triggers Increase Brain Sensitivity Research indicates that people prone to migraines have a nervous system that reacts more strongly to triggers such as stress, hormones, or sensory stimuli.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
30 Apr. 2026
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The decision model positions the black box in a broader scenario that shows the interaction of external and internal stimuli as well as consumer responses.—
Félix Ortega MohedanoAll,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impulses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impulses. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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