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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 repulse
Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2021
Yet Mr Trump’s decision to change course represents neither a disastrous retreat nor a major moral repulse.
—The Economist, 23 June 2018
Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
But throughout the series, he became increasingly repulsed by these actions, which included enslaving thousands of women.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for repulse
Noun
Stories about chemical and biological weapons are often oversold, for the same reason stories of cannibalistic serial killers are: Peculiar forms of murder repulse and excite us, and old-fashioned forms do not.
—Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2021
Yet Mr Trump’s decision to change course represents neither a disastrous retreat nor a major moral repulse.
—The Economist, 23 June 2018
Verb
Other responses ranged from snacking on construction materials to being physically repulsed by a customer's name at work.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
But throughout the series, he became increasingly repulsed by these actions, which included enslaving thousands of women.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for repulse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repulse
Noun
-
President Donald Trump’s potential dismissal of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is a major and underpriced risk that could trigger a selloff in the US dollar and Treasuries, a Deutsche Bank AG strategist said.—
Christiaan Hetzner,
Fortune,
12 July 2025
-
The Justice Department’s dismissal of the charges comes as Moore started a 15-day trial earlier this week in Salt Lake City, Utah.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
Now people bothered by the insects have another reason to be disgusted by them.—
Chad Murphy,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
-
The judge, though disgusted at her antics, still stands firm in his decision to give the prosecution access to those records because the reports about the divorce are still accessible to the jury.—
Ayan Artan,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Fill the hot water, add a small amount of dish soap, and a disinfecting spray to repel odors and maintain bacteria at bay.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
11 July 2025
-
The massive aerial assault involved 728 drones and 13 missiles, Ukraine’s Air Force said, eclipsing the previous record number of 539 drones, set on July 4, by hundreds – but it was largely repelled, with the damage limited and no immediate reports of deaths.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
But the big challenge for Świątek, resisting a reversion to the baseline aggression when matches get stressful, also gets magnified on grass, where sets can disappear in minutes and errors rack up more easily and quickly.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
5 July 2025
-
The Supreme Court upheld that ruling and ordered the administration to begin the process of releasing him, but officials resisted bringing him back until he was indicted on the human smuggling charges in May.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that a legislative committee's rejection of a ban on conversion therapy was unconstitutional.—
Anna Kleiber,
jsonline.com,
8 July 2025
-
While kids write essays about Shakespeare, founders are learning to write pitch decks after their third rejection.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
Cucumbers are being recalled nationwide after a salmonella outbreak sickened 26 people and hospitalized nine across 15 states, including Tennessee.—
Diana Leyva,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
-
So far, people in two states have reported being sickened from the product, according to the FDA and the CDA. Minnesota (three people) New Jersey (one person) What pistachio cream is being recalled?—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
Garcia was also named an injury replacement Friday after being listed as a potential snub.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
12 July 2025
-
Garcia was on the list of snubs that deserved an All-Star spot but missed out due to a plethora of deserving players at his position.—
Hunter Mulholland,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Spielberg imagined it as a noise that has the power to appall.—
David Denby,
Vulture,
3 July 2025
-
Still, there is plenty here that should appall both Democrats and Republicans.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Repulse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repulse. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share