Definition of expelnext
1
2
3
4
as in to exhale
to let or force out of the lungs asked the patient to expel a deep breath

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb expel contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of expel are eject, evict, and oust. While all these words mean "to drive or force out," expel stresses a thrusting out or driving away especially permanently which need not be physical.

a student expelled from college

When would eject be a good substitute for expel?

While the synonyms eject and expel are close in meaning, eject carries an especially strong implication of throwing or thrusting out from within as a physical action.

ejected an obnoxious patron from the bar

When could evict be used to replace expel?

The words evict and expel are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, evict chiefly applies to turning out of house and home.

evicted for nonpayment of rent

When is it sensible to use oust instead of expel?

While in some cases nearly identical to expel, oust implies removal or dispossession by power of the law or by force or compulsion.

police ousted the squatters

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 expel Nearly all of them have been expelled or have disappeared during Xi Jinping’s sweeping purge. New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026 Sumo wrestlers participated in a ritual to expel evil from the grounds. Lydia Price, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026 Ramzi Bashour’s feature debut follows a teenager from Indiana who takes a road trip to see the American West with his Lebanese immigrant mother after being expelled from high school. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 1 Feb. 2026 Immigration and Integration Minister Rasmus Stoklund said 315 foreign criminals from countries outside the European Union had received sentences of more than a year over the last five years but were not expelled. Arkansas Online, 31 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for expel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expel
Verb
  • Hornets players Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges, as well as Pistons’ Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, were all ejected from the game.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Midway through the fourth quarter, Lee was ejected and had to be restrained by Hornets guard Brandon Miller while yelling at officials for a no-call after Charlotte’s Grant Williams collided with Detroit’s Paul Reed.
    Steve Reed, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Noem held the press conference to pitch the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a bill requiring individuals to show proof of citizenship before registering to vote and requiring voters show identification before casting their ballot.
    Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 14 Feb. 2026
  • One of the most recent adaptations of the novel, the 2011 version by Andrea Arnold, notably leaned into this aspect of the book by casting the multiracial James Howson as Heathcliff.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • News of the possible project erupted last month after reports emerged that the federal government was eyeing the large, empty warehouse in a south Kansas City industrial park for an immigration detention center with thousands of beds.
    Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Violence erupted in Kansas in 1854, not over fugitive slaves but over the prospect of slavery taking hold there.
    Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • This wasn’t a group exhaling to let go of old pain.
    Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Inhale for four seconds, exhale for six, repeat.
    Stefanie Groner, Glamour, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Of course, these posts outing Khan as a potential Twitter troll—this time anonymously as compared to the troll activity on his own account—led to harassing tweets from pro-AEW accounts.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • The San Jose State controversy initially gained traction in conservative media outlets, including the website Reduxx, which outed the athlete before the 2024 season.
    Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Scarlet’s final encounter with Claudius radiates with the complicated poignancy expected of real, difficult catharsis.
    Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Infrared heating works by transferring the heat directly to the food which warms up and re-radiates the heat evenly throughout.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The music video interposes clips of a nation on fire—thieves and looters running rampant, protesters spitting in cops’ faces—with footage of Aldean and his band playing in front of a courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, vowing to deliver justice.
    Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
  • American consumers and small businesses alike are spitting fire these days about the cost of credit cards, while the companies profiting from them are making money hand over fist.
    Carter Dougherty, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Meanwhile, media outlets have begun reopening their airwaves to critical voices banished in recent years.
    EGINA GARCIA CANO, Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Cases are proliferating in a Mexican state that borders Texas, with the pest having escaped containment by an international eradication program that banished it for decades.
    Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Expel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expel. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on expel

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!