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repulse 1 of 2

noun

Definition of repulsenext
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

repulse

2 of 2

verb

ri-ˈpəls How to pronounce repulse (audio)
1
as in to disgust
to cause to feel disgust the smell of that town's paper mill totally repulses me

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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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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
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
Verb
Spearmint and peppermint plants are particularly effective insect repellents, but many other plants in the mint family can also be used to repulse flies, including pennyroyal and lemon balm. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 June 2026 Firstman’s debut directorial effort, Club Kid, shrewdly acknowledges those garish personality tics, which have both endeared and repulsed audiences. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for repulse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repulse
  1. dismissal
  2. disgust
  3. repel
  4. rebuff
  5. sicken
  6. resist
  7. rejection
  8. appall
Noun
  • Kotzmacher said the absence and dismissal of the issue only strengthened her resolve.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • In his Instagram caption, Macklemore referenced his dismissal from pop star Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour over his pro-Palestinian messaging and the ensuing fallout.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismissal
Verb
  • Harrity, who is open about his own recovery, is troubled and disgusted by police believing Horsch preyed on women struggling with addiction.
    — Joe Holden, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • There are a lot of reasons to be disgusted with the Cowboys for their season-opening stink fest.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of disgust
Verb
  • In April 2025, North Korea and Russia confirmed that their soldiers fought together to repel a Ukraine incursion into Russia’s Kursk border region.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The York features espresso feet and comes upholstered in the retailer’s contract-grade Performance Everyday Velvet, which promises to repel liquids and resist abrasions of daily life.
    — Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of repel
Noun
  • Perhaps this accident of birth is connected to the subtle rebuff of modern life in Marcon’s films.
    — Matthew McLean, Artforum, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The rebuff contributes to the future civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, in which Rhaenyra battles her half-brother Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) for the seat of power.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 30 July 2026
Definition of rebuff
Verb
  • This can include cases in which toxic chemicals drift into neighboring fields or communities and sicken people.
    — Robert J. Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Two types of influenza — A and B — are responsible for the seasonal flu epidemics that sicken people, according to the California Department of Public Health.
    — Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of sicken
Verb
  • Zambia objected to provisions covering the use of health data and also resisted Washington’s effort to link the health agreement to cooperation on critical minerals.
    — Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Ayer came on board the film after reading Cameron Alexander’s script, which provoked such a strong emotional response that the director couldn’t resist taking the material on.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of resist
Noun
  • Across the past century, other nations have renamed themselves or tweaked their names for various reasons, from modernization to rejection of colonialism.
    — Ted Anthony, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Did the account have a long, clean history before the rejection?
    — Adarsh Naidu, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of rejection
Verb
  • Mansur, who desperately longs to be reunited with his own mother, is appalled.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s ongoing satirical series at first appalled many viewers with its resolute political incorrectness and penchant for four-letter words from the mouths of babes, and that was nowhere more evident than in Cartman himself.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of appall

Browse Nearby Words

repugnant
repulse
repulsed
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Cite this Entry

“Repulse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repulse. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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