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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 Amid pressure to expel Israeli public broadcaster Kan from the music competition, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has asked its 68 members to decide in an online ballot next month. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025 Pearson, expelled from the Tennessee House in 2023 after leading a gun control protest, was later reappointed and won a special election, cementing his status as a rising progressive voice. Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2025 The elder Mamdani grew up in Uganda, in East Africa, in a community of Ugandans of Indian descent, known as the Bayindi, who played a prominent role in the country until Idi Amin expelled them en masse in 1972. Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025 Katherina Lynn had only been Katherina Lynn for a month before she was expelled from Yale for admissions fraud. Clara Molot, Air Mail, 4 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for expel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expel
Verb
  • Branch was ejected in a game against Green Bay in 2024 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on running back Bo Melton.
    Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The pop star has not publicly commented on what happened, but local police confirmed to ABC News that the aggressive concertgoer was immediately ejected from the Kaseya Center.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The veteran host has been candid about his firing, citing his opposition to casting political figures like Sean Spicer.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025
  • From there, Leto threw Castro’s name into the mix for Seth and advocated for him until director Joachim Rønning and the rest of the Tron threequel’s brain trust officially cast him.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Cincinnati trailed 10-0 late in the first half but erupted for 20 unanswered points spanning the end of the second quarter into the third before Pittsburgh eventually responded.
    Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Thunderstorms erupting in the South and Midwest to kick off the weekend could turn severe and produce dangerous winds, a few tornadoes and heavy rain.
    Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Gently tilting the pelvis stretches tight lower back muscles, while exhaling engages your deep core muscles to stabilize your spine.
    Jakob Roze, Health, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Texas can exhale, at least for now.
    Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Kate — who is known for recycling outfits, often years apart — debuted the piece during a January 2020 visit to Bradford Town Hall before reusing the coat at the royal family's Christmas church outing in 2022.
    Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Yesavage would’ve likely contributed to a Game 5 outing back in Toronto, but the Jays ensured that wasn’t required with a 5-2 win over the Yankees.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The self-reflective tone marks a thematic shift for a band whose debut radiated a cool irony, pulling emotional punches in favor of observations centered around mid-20s delusion.
    Sophie Williams, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Once formed, these waves can travel across entire ocean basins, radiating outward from the point of disturbance and impacting coastlines far from the origin.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Asuka spat mist in Sky's face, and Sane delivered an Insane Elbow to complete the heel turn of The Kabuki Warriors.
    Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
  • To symbolize the global connections made possible by the new canal, participants poured water from Lake Erie and rivers around the world into the Atlantic at Sandy Hook, a sand spit off New Jersey at the entrance to New York Harbor.
    Christine Keiner, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Disruption and sadness shall be banished.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
  • As for banishing, those shiny black leggings—the rock chic sort that look PVC but aren’t.
    Olivia Allen, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Expel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expel. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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