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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

repulses

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of repulse
1
as in disgusts
to cause to feel disgust the smell of that town's paper mill totally repulses me

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2
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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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 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
  1. dismissals
  2. disgusts
  3. repels
  4. snubs
  5. sickens
  6. resists
  7. rejections
Noun
  • That led to a number of dismissals, including coach Massimiliano Allegri.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 June 2026
  • What is particularly concerning about these firings is the effect the dismissals will have on the officer ranks.
    — William H. McRaven, The Atlantic, 25 June 2026
Definition of dismissals
Verb
  • That’s what really disgusts me.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
Definition of disgusts
Verb
  • 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
  • The strong scent of nasturtiums naturally repels destructive insects, such as cucumber beetles, squash bugs, and whiteflies.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 30 June 2026
Definition of repels
Noun
  • 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
  • Cardoso likely would have been on this summer’s roster if not for injury, while Tessmann, Morris and Luna were among the biggest snubs.
    — Tom Bogert, New York Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of snubs
Verb
  • Alcohol kills 178,000 Americans each year and sickens countless more.
    — Lev Facher, STAT, 12 May 2026
  • Just thinking about it totally sickens me.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
Definition of sickens
Verb
  • The human personality resists easy analysis — that is surely one of Aviv’s takeaways.
    — Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • The episodes bounce between periods as Angelyne tries new ventures (a music career) and resists others (a Playboy photoshoot), all while avoiding the journalist (Alex Karpovsky) and documentarian (Lukas Gage) trying to uncover her origin story.
    — Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026
Definition of resists
Noun
  • Along with all of his rejections, Holden has a very clear set of ideas about what sorts of behaviors and activities and companions are correct.
    — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
  • For Raghozar, the rejections and disappointments altered her mentality and motivation entirely.
    — Kayla Lee, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
Definition of rejections

Browse Nearby Words

repulsed
repulses
repulsing
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Cite this Entry

“Repulses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repulses. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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