REPULSES Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

repulses 1 of 2

noun

plural of repulse

as in rebuffs

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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repulses

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of repulse

as in disgusts

to cause to feel disgust the smell of that town's paper mill totally repulses me

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as in repels

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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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 repulses

Verb

Sigmund Freud believed that every crush has a strand of disgust, that people are attracted to what repulses them. — Daniel Felsenthal, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026 Charlie, though, is trying to keep them out of a country that thoroughly repulses him. — Alexander Nazaryan, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for repulses

Noun

Women are increasingly leveraging AI tools like Claude to navigate their healthcare, seeking control and addressing historical dismissals within the medical system.

— Amy Shoenthal, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
But there are also several reasons to suggest he simply couldn’t be trusted to lead the red-ball side — from his off-field antics in New Zealand last winter, to his penchant for daft dismissals at crucial moments in games.

— Nick Miller, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of dismissals

Verb

Celery, thyme, marigold, and chamomile can help mask the smell of cabbage plants, while borage repels the moths.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 27 July 2026
While it's best known for triggering playful behavior in cats, researchers have long known the compound also repels insects.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 8 July 2026

Definition of repels

Noun

What kind of impact do these snubs have on our reputation in the eyes of potential incoming players?

— George Caulkin, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Those questions, and a lot more, are discussed as the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast‘s Michael Schneider, Emily Longeretta and Jazz Tangcay hit the roundtable to go over the winners, snubs and surprises from this week’s Emmy nominations.

— Michael Schneider, Variety, 11 July 2026

Definition of snubs

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repulsed

repulses

repulsing

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“Repulses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repulses. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of repulses

noun

verb

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