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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Her widowed aunt plays chaperone as Susanna attends heady lectures and repulses her many suitors. — Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026 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
  • The dismissals at the USPSTF follow a Supreme Court decision in 2025 stating that the secretary of HHS can remove members at will.
    — C. Joseph Ross Daval, STAT, 30 Oct. 2026
  • All five students sought to appeal their dismissals but say that the university blocked access to their education records, which the students allege is a violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
    — Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of dismissals
Verb
  • That’s what really disgusts me.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
Definition of disgusts
Verb
  • The Luxury Pillow keeps your head and neck in the ideal position to stay asleep all night, made with soft bamboo viscose material that naturally repels common household non-living allergens.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The wax repels liquid water but keeps tiny pores, so vapor can still escape.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of repels
Noun
  • As his son Charles recounts in Swan Song, when Diana considered calling off her wedding to Prince Charles after suffering various snubs from the heir to the throne, Count Spencer flatly rejected his youngest daughter’s idea.
    — Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Its complete omission from the 2026 Latin Grammy nominations was one of the most notable snubs on Wednesday morning.
    — Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of snubs
Verb
  • Domoic acid is a toxin produced by algae and typically sickens animals that feed on open-ocean fish.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Alcohol kills 178,000 Americans each year and sickens countless more.
    — Lev Facher, STAT, 12 May 2026
Definition of sickens
Verb
  • The environment of wartime New York rings out silently but urgently from Nighthawks; as a temple of fluorescent light persisting through the infernal darkness, Hopper’s diner figuratively and symbolically resists the blackouts imposed upon the city.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The shampoo nourishes the scalp with panthenol and niacinamide, while the conditioner fortifies strands with lipids for thicker-looking hair that resists breakage.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of resists
Noun
  • For next year’s admissions, institutions would have to publish more detailed selection criteria and explain rejections when applicants request reasons.
    — Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The man is booked, even if rejections litter the laboratory floor.
    — Arabelle Sicardi, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 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 3 Nov. 2026.

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