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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As the German armies collapsed on the Western front, Lenin reestablished the Russian army and, with the leadership of Minister of War Leon Trotsky, began the long and complicated task of expelling foreign armies.
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In late December, after U.S. intelligence said there had been election meddling, and in response to the ongoing harassment in Moscow, Obama ordered the compounds closed and diplomats expelled.
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MADISON, Wis. - Assembly Republicans moved closer to creating tougher penalties for University of Wisconsin student protesters Tuesday, advancing a bill that would suspend or expel students who disrupt speakers.
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Last year, Peter Dahlin, a Swedish man living in Beijing who helped train Chinese legal advocates to challenge government decisions, was detained in secrecy and then expelled after he was made to confess on television.
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In June 2014, Germany took the unprecedented step of expelling the senior U.S. intelligence officer in Berlin, even announcing the action over Twitter.
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Several U.S. lawmakers, including Republican Senator John McCain, have called for a tougher response, including by pressing charges against members of Erdogan’s entourage, banning their entry to the U.S. and expelling his ambassador.
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The groundbreaking measure was one of dozens the governor allowed to become law without his signature, including one putting strict limits on public schools' authority to expel or suspend their youngest students.
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These move by expelling gas bubbles from one end of an asymmetrical tube.
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
First Known Use: 14th century
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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