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
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
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
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
Verb
-
The South China Morning Post stated that this molecule uses its rigid, bulky structure to physically shield the iron core from chemical attack, while its strong negative charge creates a force field that repels leaking particles.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Marigolds also give off an odor that repels garden pests while attracting pollinators with their warm, brilliant colors.—
Heather Bien,
The Spruce,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
After two dismissals, 8 residents filed a third lawsuit against VENU in January.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
14 Apr. 2026
-
News of the dismissals was first reported by The New York Times.—
Laura Romero,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 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
-
The book resists tidy moral conclusions.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Best of all, the Tony nominee smartly resists overplaying the joke, grounding the part enough that Brad's unraveling becomes funnier.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That’s because Deadwyler has proven her knack for summoning visceral, harrowingly realistic emotion in stories of painful resonance, work which has led to a bevy of critics’ awards, Indie Spirit and BAFTA nominations — and a good deal of outcry over Oscar snubs.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The season’s three biggest acting snubs got to introduce their casting directors during this segment, which was a nice way to give them flowers for strong performances.—
William Earl,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
When John begins spitting out his food, his mother, Heather (Shirley Henderson), worn down by exhaustion and anger, banishes him from the dinner table—the first in an unceasing series of maternal rejections.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
McElroy's decision is similar to other rejections by federal judges across country since the Justice Department began seeking detailed voter data from the states.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Repulses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repulses. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
