rebuff 1 of 2

noun

Definition of rebuffnext
as in dismissal
treatment that is deliberately unfriendly took her rebuff in stride, and still greeted her cousin with a friendly smile the next time they met

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rebuff

2 of 2

verb

as in to spurn

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Dissimilar Words

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 rebuff
Noun
The latest rebuff of state overreach was the dismissal last week of the highly questionable felony case against respected Waukegan City Clerk Janet Kilkelly brought by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026 Braced by that humiliating rebuff, the Service wasted no time in getting serious and rallying around reform. — Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
Tess, who's on the bus rebuffing yet another apology from Orson, spots Jamison walking by. — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026 The president’s budget request has repeatedly proposed cutting the NSF’s budget by more than half, which so far have been rebuffed by Congress. — Shalin Jyotishi, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for rebuff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebuff
  1. dismissal
  2. spurn
  3. snub
  4. scorn
  5. repulse
  6. disdain
  7. rejection
  8. reject
Noun
  • That Penn State failed to use the long runway given with Franklin’s October dismissal didn’t help things.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Iraola’s dismissal came as a surprise to a number of his players, although Catala, who later managed Larnaca, explains that there is a volatility to decision-making in Cyprus if form deteriorates.
    — Andy Jones, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of dismissal
Verb
  • On Tuesday afternoon, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reported that Salah was headed to Turkey to play for Trabzonspor, spurning whatever advances Sporting had made for the star.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Teams LeBron spurned, including the Heat and Timberwolves, have seen players like Bam Adebayo and Anthony Edwards playfully vow to challenge him.
    — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of spurn
Noun
  • Also be wary of Lowden, who returned after last year’s snub, and could continue Slow Horses’ streak of a third straight above-the-line win in a third different category.
    — Joyce Eng, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In Mike Nichols’ 1967 comedy of disaffection, Hoffman originated the role that Rhys played onstage, so the snub was startling.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of snub
Verb
  • The target of the anger and scorn in all the insulting posters, slogans, and graffiti of the protest zone was not the education minister but Modi himself.
    — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Now that the Chicago Bears have scorned Portage’s bid to build a stadium on the city’s north side, the Redevelopment Commission plans to repackage the site before offering it to other developers.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026
Definition of scorn
Noun
  • Larger than life, his creation repulses and torments him, and Victor spends the rest of his life both running from it and trying to destroy it.
    — Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
  • The optical, stop-motion, and puppetry effects alone should make Brain Damage a priority on your watchlist, but Henenlotter’s film excites and repulses on a deeper level.
    — Rory Doherty, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024
Definition of repulse
Verb
  • Most telling is how openly Stassi disdains the idea of therapy, even insisting to the horror of pretty much everyone else onscreen that forcing hard conversations on reality TV is her therapy.
    — Caroline Framke, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Far from the chumminess on display in the Epstein files, her targets express fear of and even disdain for one another.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
Definition of disdain
Noun
  • She’s seen students disappointed by the state’s rejection of an AP African American history course and English teachers strategically pick books that wouldn’t offend the governor’s sensibilities.
    — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Not long ago, many clinicians, including Fejzo’s own doctor, still regarded the illness as a psychological rejection of motherhood, or a bid for attention.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of rejection
Verb
  • Craig has blamed Flanagan for a lack of oversight and accountability, allegations that Flanagan rejects.
    — Diana Paulsen, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The Braves were rejected by former Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom at the trade deadline.
    — Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of reject

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Rebuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuff. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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