Definition of expel
expelled
;expelling
transitive verb
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
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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 of expel from the Web
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When Nazi persecutions drove Jews from Europe in the 1930s, many took refuge there (as they had done when expelled from Spain in 1492), particularly in the province of Jerusalem.
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The demands include Qatar shutting down news outlets, including the media network Al-Jazeera, cutting ties with Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, limiting ties with Iran and expelling Turkish troops stationed in the country.
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A spokesman comes out of the president’s office and gives the students a deadline for leaving the building or they’ll be arrested and expelled.
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Jones, who spent a decade as a Baylor regent, including two years as board chairman, suggested to the Baylor administrator that one of the women be expelled.
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In that report, Democratic Chairman Bill Hollander and Vice Chairwoman Cheri Bryant Hamilton called for Johnson to be publicly condemned and expelled from the 17-member majority caucus.
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Bleaching occurs when overly warm water leads corals to expel symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae.
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A 2002 law allows pregnant girls to be expelled from Tanzanian schools.
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In a report obtained exclusively by the Courier-Journal, Democratic Chairman Bill Hollander and Vice Chairwoman Cheri Bryant Hamilton recommend Johnson be publicly condemned and expelled from caucus.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'expel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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.
Origin and Etymology of expel
Middle English expellen, from Latin expellere, from ex- + pellere to drive — more at felt
Synonym Discussion of expel
EXPEL Defined for English Language Learners
expel
playDefinition of expel for English Language Learners
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: to officially force (someone) to leave a place or organization
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: to push or force (something) out
EXPEL Defined for Kids
expel
playDefinition of expel for Students
expelled
;expelling
1 : to force to leave He was expelled from school.
2 : to force out expel air from lungs
Word Root of expel
The Latin word pellere, meaning “to cause to move” or “to drive,” gives us the root pel. Words from the Latin pellere have something to do with driving or causing something to move. To propel is to drive forward. To compel is to drive someone to do something. To expel is to drive out. To repel is to drive back or away.
Learn More about expel
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See words that rhyme with expel Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for expel Spanish Central: Translation of expel Nglish: Translation of expel for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of expel for Arabic speakers
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