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

Multiple criminal cases had involved Berlusconi, but most ended in dismissals.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
The dismissals ended the corruption review, which was in its early stages.

— William Turton, ProPublica, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of dismissals

Verb

The wax repels liquid water but keeps tiny pores, so vapor can still escape.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026
This natural pest control spray keeps roaches, stink bugs, spiders, ants, centipedes, crickets, and tons of other bugs away thanks to its strong scent that repels them without harsh chemicals.

— Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 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

Noun

Proposals that could affect the budget were denied, according to the union, with many rejections coming at the last minute.

— Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, Stallone endured an avalanche of rejections from agents who felt his slurry speech and asymmetrical mouth were liabilities — the very traits, of course, that would mark him as an original in a few short years.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of rejections

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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 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of repulses

noun

verb

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