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Many English verbs begin with the prefix re-, meaning “again” or “backward,” so we wouldn’t criticize you for drawing a connection between rebuff and buff, a verb meaning “to polish or shine.” But rebuff would beg to differ: this word comes to us from the Middle French verb rebuffer, which traces back to the Old Italian ribuffare, meaning “to reprimand.” (Buff, in contrast, comes from the Middle French noun buffle, meaning “wild ox”). A similar word, rebuke, shares the “criticize” sense of rebuff, but not the “reject” sense; one can rebuke another’s actions or policies, but one does not rebuke the advances of another, for example. Like rebuke, rebuff can also be used as a noun, as in “The proposal was met with a stern rebuff from the Board of Trustees.”
Examples of rebuff in a Sentence
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025
Let’s talk about Sage rebuffing your attempt at a hug.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Dallas has inquired with the Las Vegas Raiders about Maxx Crosby and the Cincinnati Bengals about Trey Hendrickson, but was rebuffed by those teams on both occasions.
—Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
That included two stellar stops in the waning seconds of the third with Carolina on the power play, rebuffing a slap shot and then blocking the rebound with his leg pad.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebuff
Cite this Entry
“Rebuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebuff. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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