repel
verb
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Definition of repel
3a : to drive away : discourage foul words and frowns must not repel a lover— William Shakespeare
b : to be incapable of adhering to, mixing with, taking up, or holding
c : to force away or apart or tend to do so by mutual action at a distance
4 : to cause aversion in : disgust
: to cause aversion
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Synonyms & Antonyms for repel
Synonyms
buck, defy, fight, oppose, resist, withstand
Antonyms
bow (to), capitulate (to), give in (to), knuckle under (to), stoop (to), submit (to), succumb (to), surrender (to), yield (to)
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Examples of repel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
So, based on all this information on what repels humans and how disgust works, here’s what my (very personal) ranking of the most disgusting things in New York City looks like — from bottom to top. — Alessandra Potenza, The Verge, "Puke, poop, and sweat: a ranking of New York City’s grossest attractions," 9 May 2018 Investigators then said Jones defended himself returning punches and repelling Ragin's attack until Ragin fell to the ground. — Cameron Knight, Cincinnati.com, "Police: Airport worker insulted, threatened Adam Jones before fight," 13 July 2018 Such nontariff trade barriers run afoul of international rules, and repel foreign capital that Beijing is eager to attract. — Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "After Trump’s New Tariff Threat, China Seeks Strategy for Retaliation," 11 July 2018 The strands don't tangle because each strand is repelling off another in an electrostatic force. — Lilly Price, USA TODAY, "Spiders use electricity to fly thousands of miles, research shows," 6 July 2018 One theme thoughtfully developed in Rooney's guide is how a healthy garden naturally repels many destructive pests. — Homes & Gardens Of The Northwest Staff, OregonLive.com, "Garden book review: 'Humane Critter Control' offers smart, natural ways to deter deer and rabbits," 3 June 2018 In others, his efforts have the potential to backfire by motivating Democrats or repelling skeptical independents and suburban Republicans. — CBS News, "Trump plans to stump aggressively in midterms — but is he wanted everywhere?," 19 May 2018 Up-down quark matter would definitively rule out the doomsday scenario: It should be positively charged and repel atomic nuclei. — Adrian Cho, Science | AAAS, "Weird new form of nuclear matter might lie just beyond experimenters' grasp," 15 May 2018 How can the city be attracting and repelling people at the same time? — Alfred Lubrano, Philly.com, "Philadelphia's population increased, but it's not all good, according to Census data," 22 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'repel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for repel
repel
verb
English Language Learners Definition of repel
: to keep (something) out or away
: to force (an enemy, attacker, etc.) to stop an attack and turn away
physics : to force (something) to move away or apart
See the full definition for repel in the English Language Learners Dictionary
repel
verb
\
Kids Definition of repel
1 : to drive back We tried to repel the enemy.
2 : to push away Two magnets can repel each other.
3 : to keep out : resist The cloth is treated to repel water.
4 : disgust entry 2 The sight repelled everyone.
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