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
Despite initially being rebuffed by the designer, the pair connected and unknowingly sparked what would be a 41-year friendship. — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 2 June 2026 Tess, who's on the bus rebuffing yet another apology from Orson, spots Jamison walking by. — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 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
  • Cook denied the allegations and filed a lawsuit challenging her dismissal.
    — Kevin Breuninger,Dan Mangan, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Wide receiver Cam Vaughn has reportedly filed a lawsuit against the University of Miami and the NCAA in an attempt to enter the transfer portal, a little more than one week after the Hurricanes announced his dismissal from the program.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of dismissal
Verb
  • No mob godfather has ever been as terrifying as Roscoe Conkling spurned by Chester Arthur in the back of that carriage.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Johnson, the East Moline Democrat who spurned membership on the working group, noted it was constituted by lawmakers who had publicly spoken out in support of Welch in the fallout over his handling of the Benton scandal.
    — Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of spurn
Noun
  • Every voter was also asked the same four questions off the ballot — their biggest snub, the most overspent FYC campaign, the network or streamer having the best season and the one win that would actually move the business.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Her reaction to the Album of the Year snub at the 2018 Grammys was captured in her Miss Americana documentary.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of snub
Verb
  • Yes, the parent and teacher-scorned Roblox took Tung Tung Sahur down for a spell, giving Mementum a brief win.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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
  • Although the Constitution requires congressional involvement in war-making, Trump like Nixon disdained that mandate with terrible consequences.
    — Elizabeth Holtzman, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of disdain
Noun
  • But there’s also a subtle rejection of the earnest wokeness of years past.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
  • But her part ultimately was cut from the film, which Hart said in a 2011 interview with SheKnows helped teach her about rejection.
    — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of rejection
Verb
  • The Athletic reported on Monday that all parties have now been in direct communication to confirm the deal is off after City’s bid of an initial £75m and £5m in add-ons was rejected.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Palal also rejected the defense’s contention that Davis fabricated his accounts to make money.
    — Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of reject

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Cite this Entry

“Rebuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebuff. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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