1
as in incentive
something that arouses action or activity
the new auto factory was just the impulse that the local economy needed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inclination
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
the universal, fundamental impulse of self-preservation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impulse
But the publicity also brought out darker impulses.
—
David W. Brown, New Yorker, 5 July 2025
That impulse—to turn to knowledge and reasoned inquiry—has been with us since the country’s founding.
—Sabrina Schaeffer, Oc Register, 4 July 2025
That was their first impulse, even though they were wounded; to help other people.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 27 June 2025
There's, there seems to be a white guy, uh, sort of impulse to do this.
—Outside Online, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for impulse
David W. Brown, New Yorker, 5 July 2025
That impulse—to turn to knowledge and reasoned inquiry—has been with us since the country’s founding.
—Sabrina Schaeffer, Oc Register, 4 July 2025
That was their first impulse, even though they were wounded; to help other people.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 27 June 2025
There's, there seems to be a white guy, uh, sort of impulse to do this.
—Outside Online, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for impulse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impulse
Noun
-
Advertisement While there has never been a federal mandate to buy electric vehicles, Trump’s bill does eliminate federal tax incentives for electric-vehicle owners, which is expected to hurt Musk’s company Tesla.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
7 July 2025
-
While these efforts have generally failed to boost birth rates, one notable exception is the Hubei province city of Tianmen, where incentives were followed by a notable surge in births last year.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
At a June 5 press conference, one day after the General Assembly closed the regular 2024 session, the governor gave his strongest indication to date of an inclination to seek another four-year term with Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
3 July 2025
-
At the Soul Train Awards in 1997, Da Brat arrived outfitted in a similarly referential look, but her look evoked tomboy inclinations.—
Julian Randall,
Essence,
3 July 2025
Noun
-
But another member of the Southeastern Connecticut delegation who served as the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Aundre Bumgardner, D-Groton, said that the Plainfield proposal had been the primary impetus for the bill.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
9 July 2025
-
Still, Streeter suggested that further pressure from the U.K. regulator could provide the impetus required to accelerate changes within the company.—
Karen Gilchrist,
CNBC,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
This practice has fostered a tendency to conflate diagnosis with management frameworks, confuse co-morbidities with symptoms, and ultimately blur the distinction between obesity as a risk factor and as a disease state.—
Francesco Rubino,
Time,
9 July 2025
-
Traits shape your willingness to try new things, your perception of effort, and your comfort level in different environments—making exercise a natural outlet for expressing these tendencies, said Matthew Sacco, PhD, a sports medicine psychologist at Cleveland Clinic.—
Brian Mastroianni,
Health,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
Jason Bateman even offered Shepard some encouragement to lock it down.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
12 July 2025
-
By July, a garden in full bloom may need some encouragement to keep its beautiful flowers in supply.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
However, instead of removing the minerals from the water, these devices make the minerals soluble in the water.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Mar. 2025
-
However, these incidents underscore the importance of regularly updating your devices to stay protected against evolving threats.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Chinese markets were sharply higher in earlier trading, buoyed by signs of possible additional stimulus measures in China and Goldman Sachs Group’s upgrade of Hong Kong stocks to market-weight.—
Teresa Cerojano,
Chicago Tribune,
11 July 2025
-
Using a tool to measure how patients perceive stimuli like temperature and touch, researchers in Germany found that women with lipedema had a lower pain threshold compared with other women.—
Francesca Gilbard,
NBC news,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Each drill was designed to test Beringer’s physical makeup and his aptitude for the game.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
-
The Watch 8 series also offers a 12-minute running test to gauge your current aptitude for the activity from 1 (beginner) to 10 (pro).—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impulse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impulse. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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