rebuff 1 of 2

noun

Definition of rebuffnext
as in dismissal
treatment that is deliberately unfriendly took her rebuff in stride, and still greeted her cousin with a friendly smile the next time they met

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rebuff

2 of 2

verb

as in to spurn

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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 rebuff
Noun
The latest rebuff of state overreach was the dismissal last week of the highly questionable felony case against respected Waukegan City Clerk Janet Kilkelly brought by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026 Braced by that humiliating rebuff, the Service wasted no time in getting serious and rallying around reform. — Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
Despite initially being rebuffed by the designer, the pair connected and unknowingly sparked what would be a 41-year friendship. — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 2 June 2026 Tess, who's on the bus rebuffing yet another apology from Orson, spots Jamison walking by. — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for rebuff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebuff
  1. dismissal
  2. spurn
  3. snub
  4. scorn
  5. repulse
  6. disdain
  7. rejection
  8. reject
Noun
  • Cruz said that the dismissal of the rising cost of living led Republicans to be unsuccessful this election cycle.
    — Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Now, the Seminoles quarterback is being turned to as a stabilizing presence in what has been a turbulent week, after coach Mike Norvell’s dismissal.
    — Bob Ferrante, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of dismissal
Verb
  • The seminary student and educator has also been critical of his own party — calling it out for ineptitude, leaving voters behind — and arguing that anti-establishment messaging is enticing to Latinos who have been spurned by both major parties.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Kumari plays Sahibjaan, born in a graveyard to a courtesan who was spurned by her husband’s aristocratic family.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of spurn
Noun
  • There will be those who insist the playoff snub is merely a convenient excuse for a coach who stopped recruiting effectively, stopped developing quarterbacks and stopped winning football games.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Meta shareholders absorbed the snub, and a $25 billion jury verdict in a case stemming from the 2010s Cambridge Analytica episode, by temporarily sending the stock up 2% in after-hours trading Wednesday.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of snub
Verb
  • But hell hath no fury like a Latino voter scorned and all this intimidation, in addition to a lack of follow-through on promises by Republican lawmakers since 2024, might have a boomerang effect by agitating Latinos into action.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Loneliness looms as a threat to all genders, but men, who are lauded for gruff stoicism and scorned for vulnerability, can be especially ill-equipped to navigate atomization.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of scorn
Noun
  • Larger than life, his creation repulses and torments him, and Victor spends the rest of his life both running from it and trying to destroy it.
    — Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
  • The optical, stop-motion, and puppetry effects alone should make Brain Damage a priority on your watchlist, but Henenlotter’s film excites and repulses on a deeper level.
    — Rory Doherty, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024
Definition of repulse
Verb
  • As of Sunday, Morin was one month into the suspension handed down by the state Supreme Court that disdained the opinion of professional discipline case referee, Judge Paul Anthony Damico.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Scrutiny of Flock and other surveillance providers was largely bipartisan at the hearing, as did disdain for the company leaders not appearing.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of disdain
Noun
  • Democrats ousted Republicans from coast to coast, with many surprising places in between, in a decisive rejection of unified GOP control for the promise of something different for the country.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The Democratic wins in Texas and rejection of data centers in ballots across the country are expected to create hurdles for data center plays.
    — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of rejection
Verb
  • California voters have twice rejected ballot measures to abolish the death penalty, first in 2012 and again in 2016, and Newsom’s decision overrides the will of the courts and state laws that permit capital punishment.
    — Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Voters, in 2024, narrowly rejected a half-cent local sales tax measure that was estimated to generate about $19 million annually.
    — Victoria Le, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of reject

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Cite this Entry

“Rebuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuff. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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