as in dismissal
treatment that is deliberately unfriendly
the waiter's incredibly rude repulse of our polite request for a better table—one that wasn't right next to the kitchen—prompted us to walk out
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to disgust
to cause to feel disgust
the smell of that town's paper mill totally repulses me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to repel
to drive back
the defense repeatedly repulsed all of the offense's attempts to move the ball forward, keeping them firmly planted on the 20-yard line
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of repulse
Rory Doherty, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024
But many foresee a protracted, bitter conflict, particularly in the country’s east as Russian forces retrench after the humiliating repulse of their advance on Kyiv.
—Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2022
Moeed Yusuf, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2025
Like Einstein, Brassard feels repulsed by the way the particles in the Bell experiment seem to have firsthand awareness of each other despite being separated by, in principle, light-years of space.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for repulse
Noun
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
But many foresee a protracted, bitter conflict, particularly in the country’s east as Russian forces retrench after the humiliating repulse of their advance on Kyiv.
—Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2022
Verb
India was unable to outmaneuver Pakistan militarily, as Pakistani forces combined domestic, Chinese, and Western technology and managed to repulse the Indian air force by shooting down multiple jets.
—Moeed Yusuf, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2025
Like Einstein, Brassard feels repulsed by the way the particles in the Bell experiment seem to have firsthand awareness of each other despite being separated by, in principle, light-years of space.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for repulse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repulse
Noun
-
The director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, Sergio Gor, announced Shogan’s dismissal in February on social media.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Attorneys argued in court Thursday morning over Trauernicht’s request for the diversion program, which could result in the dismissal of his felony charge for the alleged crime.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Christine assures him that she could never be disgusted with him.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Calling the mass killing of civilians in Gaza a genocide is contentious as well, but even patriotic Israelis disgusted by their own government have begun to use the term.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Physicists use virtual particles to calculate how two electrons repel each other, with exquisite precision.—
Dipangkar Dutta,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The one-of-a-kind, special edition book was printed with real garlic ink, and designed to repel Armentrout’s bloodthirsty monsters, the Craven.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The matter-of-fact rebuff feels very French, very Oklou.—
Anna Gaca,
Pitchfork,
1 Oct. 2025
-
There was a unilateral rebuff toward the idea that the industry is experiencing a drummer shortage in general.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Hughes and others began resisting orders in passive ways, showing up late or taking patrols extra slowly.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Yet, in the privacy of his room, Jiang does not resist the temptation of violence.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But those early rejections didn’t destroy their confidence.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
5 Oct. 2025
-
This over-enthusiasm can backfire, leading to rejection.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The outbreak has killed four people and sickened at least 20, all but one of whom required hospitalization, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
30 Sep. 2025
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In March 2020, following a European tour, both country-folk singer and songwriter and his wife of 23 years, Fiona, were sickened by coronavirus (COVID-19).—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Lopez — who received a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nomination for the role, among other accolades — acknowledged the disappointment of the snub in her 2022 Netflix documentary Halftime.—
Jessica Wang,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Sep. 2025
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However, the video also shows King Charles and Kate Middleton sitting down while the guests clapped, which people are interpreting as a snub.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Repulse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repulse. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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