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
Since 2020, military juntas in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have expelled Western forces — including U.S. troops — and turned instead to Russia for security support.
—
Jewel Bright, NPR, 9 July 2025
At that point, the pericarp contracts, and both the fruit and the seeds are violently expelled through the resulting hole.
—ArsTechnica, 8 July 2025
Dohn Community High School mostly serves students who have behavioral problems, were expelled from other public schools or are otherwise on their last chance to get a high school diploma.
—Bebe Hodges, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Bakker was eventually expelled from the Assemblies of God denomination and was sentenced to 45 years in prison for fraud.
—Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for expel
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Jewel Bright, NPR, 9 July 2025
At that point, the pericarp contracts, and both the fruit and the seeds are violently expelled through the resulting hole.
—ArsTechnica, 8 July 2025
Dohn Community High School mostly serves students who have behavioral problems, were expelled from other public schools or are otherwise on their last chance to get a high school diploma.
—Bebe Hodges, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Bakker was eventually expelled from the Assemblies of God denomination and was sentenced to 45 years in prison for fraud.
—Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for expel
Cite this Entry
“Expel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expel. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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
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