1
as in to repulse
to drive back
the defenders repelled the attacking army after several hours of fierce fighting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to disgust
to cause to feel disgust
the idea of chocolate-covered grasshoppers repels me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to resist
to refuse to give in to
repelled the temptation to stay out late and call in sick the next day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of repel
Gaskets inside protect the lens from dust and splashes, and a protective fluorine coat effectively repels moisture and grease.
—
PC Magazine, 17 July 2025
Fragrant herbs are often planted around vegetables to repel plant pests and attract pollinators to veggie flowers.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 July 2025
Getting back to the lizards, there are certain scents that can repel lizards.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 21 July 2025
What scents repel stink bugs? Stink bugs do not like scents like citrus, garlic, clove, and mint.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for repel
PC Magazine, 17 July 2025
Fragrant herbs are often planted around vegetables to repel plant pests and attract pollinators to veggie flowers.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 July 2025
Getting back to the lizards, there are certain scents that can repel lizards.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 21 July 2025
What scents repel stink bugs? Stink bugs do not like scents like citrus, garlic, clove, and mint.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for repel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repel
Verb
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This is something that finally repulses Ivor, and that Orla also grapples with.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
27 July 2025
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In Liberia, especially, the Peace Corps volunteers were repulsed by the ways that Americo-Liberians — the descendants of the Black Americans who founded the country — oppressed indigenous ethnic groups.—
Jonathan Zimmerman,
New York Daily News,
16 July 2025
Verb
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Many Americans are demonstrably disgusted, shamed, and angered by their tyrants, but mainstream literary and intellectual institutions seem unable or unwilling to give voice to them.—
Pankaj Mishra,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
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Interestingly enough, by 1920 Jarvis was disgusted with how commercialized Mother's Day had become.—
Grace Tucker,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Verb
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If a student tries to evade this process and just asks for the answer, the AI will resist the request and instead redirect the student to engage with the material.—
Ray Ravaglia,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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Of course, powerful pollution interests resist any positive change to the status quo.—
Mel Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 July 2025
Verb
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At the time of the press release, officials in San Diego County had identified nine residents who had been sickened in the outbreak.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
29 July 2025
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Current township trustee Kris Weisner said in a statement he was sickened by how much money was used for personal reasons.—
Matthew Cupelli,
IndyStar,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Senators Rand Paul and Tim Kaine oppose the tariffs, citing negative impacts on businesses and retaliatory tariffs from allies.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
31 July 2025
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The Academy's guidelines now strongly oppose using spanking as a method of discipline by listing the consequences of doing so, broken down by age group.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
30 July 2025
Verb
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Can the jugglers withstand a rainstorm of hens or will they be yoked?—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
29 July 2025
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His firm has developed homebuilding concepts designed to withstand this risk.—
Jamie Gold,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Repel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repel. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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