rappel

verb rap·pel \ rə-ˈpel , ra- \

|Updated on: 12 Jul 2018

Definition of rappel

rappelled also rappeled; rappelling also rappeling

: to descend (as from a cliff) by sliding down a rope passed under one thigh, across the body, and over the opposite shoulder or through a special friction device

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rappel

noun

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Recent Examples of rappel from the Web

The bodies were eventually found and recovered by Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who rappelled into the base of the falls from a helicopter, then used an underwater camera to find the bodies.

— wes siler, Outside Online, "Doing It for the ‘Gram Turns Deadly," 9 July 2018
From a hovering helicopter, a sniper takes out an enemy combatant, and an elite U.S. Coast Guard counter terrorism team swings into action, rappelling to the deck and taking command of the ship.

— carter evans, CBS News, "Elite Coast Guard team training for potential chemical weapons attacks," 14 June 2018
Michael Araujo rappels from a 60-foot tower as trainees gain insight into the rigorous training that agents undergo.

— brittny mejia, latimes.com, "Many Latinos answer call of the Border Patrol in the age of Trump," 23 Apr. 2018
The girls face physical challenges such as climbing a 105-foot fire truck ladder to the sixth floor of the training tower, rappelling out a fifth-floor window, operating fire hoses and learning search and rescue techniques.

— john d. simmons, charlotteobserver, "Can a camp ignite girls’ interest in becoming firefighters?," 21 June 2018
Police in Dunwoody, Ga., told WSB-TV that the thieves pulled off the heist by rappelling themselves through a hole in the ceiling.

— lisa marie segarra, Fortune, "Burglars Rappel Through Best Buy Roof and Steal $100,000 in Apple Products," 20 June 2018
An elaborate rope system had to be used to rappel down to the crash survivors and then carry them back up, according to the sheriff's office.

— jared gilmour, sacbee, "Car with teens in trunk plunged into 180-foot ravine. One crawled back up to call 911, Utah cops say," 14 June 2018
The Hunter pair was rappelling the Mini-Moonflower route when they were hit by falling rock and ice debris.

— anna callaghan, Outside Online, "Four Lessons from Two Harrowing Alaska Rescues," 30 May 2018
Melissa Robison rappelled out of helicopters and set up telecommunications for infantrymen and engineers while serving in the Army's 101st Airborne Division.

— daniel langhorne, latimes.com, "Orange Coast College students use 92-foot yacht as floating classroom," 25 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rappel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.