pulses 1 of 2

Definition of pulsesnext
plural of pulse
as in throbs
a rhythmic expanding and contracting his resting pulse rate is much lower than that of most men his age

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pulses

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of pulse
as in beats
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner blood vessels pulsing in time with the heartbeat

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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 pulses
Noun
The technology uses electrical pulses to directly treat the heart tissue that causes the irregular heartbeat. Tracy Yochum, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026 Wordless electronic lounge music pulses over the speakers, hanging well above the dining room from a triple-height ceiling. Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 12 Mar. 2026 Based on these findings, the consortium intends to manipulate antiferromagnets using intense light pulses on trillionth-of-a-second timescales. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 11 Mar. 2026 The reserve absolutely pulses with wildlife. Tom Vanderbilt, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026 From arts and nightlife to food, festivals, and global icons like Beyonce, Houston pulses with energy, giving visitors a taste of Texas that’s vibrant, diverse, and unmistakably its own. Kat Stinson, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026 The programming shapes a unique, electromagnetic wave that rises and falls abruptly and pulses rapidly. Scott Pelley, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026 One step up are ultrasonic mole repellent devices that emit sonic pulses and cause vibrations deep in the soil. Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 7 Mar. 2026 The initial pulses of noise reflects off objects to effectively paint an image, in a process known as echolocation. James Dwyer, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
San Antonio often gets labeled as a retirement town, but don’t let that fool you—the city pulses with youth and energy. Kat Stinson, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026 The village pulses with a ton of energy, and the restaurant and après scene are also top-notch. Brent Rose, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Feb. 2026 The city pulses with creativity, from its interactive street art to its world-class museums. Essence, 7 Nov. 2025 The city pulses with ambition—as Education City hums with global ideas, and Katara hosts opera under the stars. Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 The Watson household, once shadowed by loss, now pulses with both memory and possibility. Ashley Vega, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025 His hip-hop bonafides emerge halfway through on his second verse, and his memorable lines add another element to an earworm single that still pulses with energy and soul. Heran Mamo, Billboard, 29 Aug. 2025 The larger stretch of South Broadway counts a lot of vital music venues — HQ (formerly 3 Kings Tavern), the Skylark, the Roxy Broadway, Gothic Theatre, Swallow Hill Music and more — but the corner of South Broadway and Ellsworth still pulses with an energy that can’t be duplicated anywhere else. The Know, Denver Post, 15 Aug. 2025 That culture still pulses through basements and backrooms across the boroughs. Amy Harclerode, New York Daily News, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulses
Verb
  • My boredom typically spurs feelings of frustration, guilt, shame—and long nutritionless spells of goggling, slack-jawed, at celebrity news on my phone while the world throbs around me.
    Daniel Smith, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Pain that is not a word throbs in his shoulders, awakens him each morning.
    Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Slow pulsations near the end of the AGB phase lead to ejecta, but these ejecta are rarely visible directly.
    Big Think, Big Think, 11 Feb. 2026
  • While the former aids in the reduction of puffiness and dark circles in the under-eye area based on hot and cold contrast therapy, the latter comes with three attachments for relieving muscle pain, tension, and soreness through rapid pulsations.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • There will also be a DJ serving beats the entire weekend and an invitation-only afterparty on Saturday and Sunday.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Even if adjustments become necessary later, thoughtful action beats hesitation.
    Fazila Shahid, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • If the rocks fell, the beatings grew worse.
    MARK BANCHEREAU THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Attorneys representing inmates there said the facility’s culture of violence and inattentiveness led to two suicides and at least 10 severe beatings and stabbings in its final year of operation.
    Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Taken from a Kamikaze menu Garcia created for Huerta’s birthday, the tom yum aguachile vibrates with heat under a canopy of fresh tortilla chips shaped like half moons.
    Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
  • There is a high whistling sound of wind rushing through the room, and the glass vibrates slightly.
    Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pulses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulses. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.

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