IMPULSES Synonyms: 105 Similar and Opposite Words

impulses

noun

plural of impulse

as in incentives

something that arouses action or activity the new auto factory was just the impulse that the local economy needed

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in tendencies

a habitual attraction to some activity or thing the universal, fundamental impulse of self-preservation

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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 impulses Those impulses may have been shaped not by paranoia, but by evolution, as a way of staving off sickness in an uncertain world. — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026 The idea that there are huge positive benefits from AI at scale seems to have come back to the forefront, rather than some of the doomer impulses that maybe a year or two ago were there. — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 22 Oct. 2026 Fontfroide inspired Fayet himself toward new artistic impulses. — Julie Coe, Architectural Digest, 20 Oct. 2026 On Uncle, fish narc sheds his past experimental impulses and finds a new identity within ebullient, feel-good college rock. — Jeff Yerger, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026 From here on out, the authorship of Tae-ju’s life is ambiguous, as well as constantly in flux, buffeted by the whims and suggestions of others, as well as by her own impulses. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026 The tension between the artist’s documentarian and novelistic impulses is one viewers come up against repeatedly throughout the exhibition. — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026 Being in a state of desire produces physical reactions that are difficult to manufacture — sweat, blood rushing, dilated pupils — while offering up the human impulses behind the work, like what excites a designer and what they’re drawn to. — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026 John, especially, after the publication of his second book of nonsense verse and stories, had finally cottoned onto the idea of putting some of his literary impulses to good use in song, resulting in some of his most haunting Beatles-era tracks. — Darryn King, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impulses

Noun

Automakers and their suppliers need incentives to invest in robotics and advanced equipment.

— Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Lula and Bolsonaro discussed the value of the minimum wage, public security policies, Brazil's free healthcare system initiatives and incentives for agribusiness.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of incentives

Noun

Many folks send encouragements toward OP mom and her son, while others put heat on the other parents for sexualizing their kids’ friendship.

— DeVonne Goode, Parents, 26 July 2026
All through the park, competitors and onlookers hit vapes and shout tips and encouragements into trees.

— Calin Van Paris, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026

Definition of encouragements

Noun

And a lot of the time, people who have these kinds of inclinations towards children are people who were children who were abused themselves.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
The trustees feared that if something happened to him, his heir apparent, Robert Kahn, would replace him, and it was known that Kahn had Zionistic inclinations.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of inclinations

Noun

But even in this unmistakably human moment, her motivations are a mystery.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2026
Instead, he’s often relegated to the role of good-faith interlocutor, trying his best to get to the truth of who Holmes and Evans are, the nature of their relationship, and their motivations for participating in this project.

— Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of motivations

Noun

For this class, the premise is that your purpose in life lies to the intersection of your values, your aptitudes and your interests.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 6 May 2026
This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.

— GRACIA LIU-FARRER, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2025

Definition of aptitudes

Noun

Beyond Carrington and Vicuña’s stylistic affinities, Lehmann and Norris pointed out how the reception of the artists’ work has changed over the decades and that both have only been canonized relatively recently.

— Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
With its affinities for isolation and, at times, imposing scale, Land art conjures archaeology and the geological sublime—vast expanses of space and time.

— Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of affinities

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“Impulses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impulses. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of impulses

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