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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in disgusts
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 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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repulses
Verb
-
Political interference in mergers and acquisitions approvals and daily operations repels foreign investment and damages confidence in market operations.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026 -
The Basset Fauve de Bretagne, also known as the Fawn Colored Brittany Basset, is a hound with coarse, wiry fur that conveniently repels dirt and does not mat, according to the AKC.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Further dismissals will include 12 members of custodial staff, 16 lunch aides, a warehouseman, a safety and security monitor, a director of communications and a discipline secretary.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Incidentally, both dismissals came in the same match — the 2-1 home defeat against Liverpool on December 20.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Just thinking about it totally sickens me.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Jan. 2026
-
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Listeria sickens about 1,250 Americans every year and causes approximately 172 deaths.—
News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Like a concealer that resists settling into fine lines or a hair oil that leaves strands glistening, not greasy, a retinol cream suitable for dry, sensitive skin is somewhat of a rarity in the beauty world.—
Sophie Wirt,
InStyle,
21 Jan. 2026
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When Bz points north, Earth’s field resists it; when Bz swings south, the two fields connect, allowing plasma to stream in.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Here are the biggest snubs and surprises.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Fortunately, Hollywood is free of ego, leaving us just to rationally contemplate the academy’s choices and examine the snubs and surprises of the nominations for the 98th Academy Awards, which will be presented on March 15.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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At least seven grand jury rejections have occurred across five different cases since the administration’s crime and security surge crackdown began in August.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Jan. 2026
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Extraordinary rejections Granted, all these grand juries were in liberal jurisdictions, but their rejections of prosecutors’ claims are still striking, since indictments are usually notoriously easy to secure.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
30 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Repulses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repulses. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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