expelled; expelling
1
: to force out : eject
expelled the smoke from her lungs
2
: to force to leave (a place, an organization, etc.) by official action : take away rights or privileges of membership
was expelled from college
Did you know?
To expel is to drive out, and its usual noun is expulsion. Expel is similar to eject, but expel suggests pushing out while eject suggests throwing out. Also, ejecting may only be temporary: the player ejected from a game may be back tomorrow, but the student expelled from school is probably out forever.
Examples of expel in a Sentence
The club may expel members who do not follow the rules.
She was expelled from school for bad behavior.
expel air from the lungs
Recent Examples on the Web
The Communist Party expelled the other vice chair of the commission, He Weidong, last October and replaced him with commission member Zhang Shengmin.
—
CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
Those numbers then plummeted as the COVID-19 pandemic prompted invocation of the Title 42 public health law, allowing CBP to expel migrants more quickly, with restricted pathways to asylum.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 21 Jan. 2026
It has since been observed by the James Webb Space Telescope, which recorded a distinct lack of cobalt in its light fingerprint, suggesting that the element may have been lost prior to being expelled by giant inner solar system planets shortly after its formation.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2026
The white 20-year-old, who was expelled from college, has quickly become the most recognizable member of the movement thanks in part to his constant presence online.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expel
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.
CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
Those numbers then plummeted as the COVID-19 pandemic prompted invocation of the Title 42 public health law, allowing CBP to expel migrants more quickly, with restricted pathways to asylum.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 21 Jan. 2026
It has since been observed by the James Webb Space Telescope, which recorded a distinct lack of cobalt in its light fingerprint, suggesting that the element may have been lost prior to being expelled by giant inner solar system planets shortly after its formation.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2026
The white 20-year-old, who was expelled from college, has quickly become the most recognizable member of the movement thanks in part to his constant presence online.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expel
Cite this Entry
“Expel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expel. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
expel
verb
ex·pel
ik-ˈspel 
expelled; expelling
1
: to drive or force out
expel air from the lungs
2
: to force to leave usually by official action
expelled from school
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
