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Repeal

When the U.S. Senate voted to end the ban on ...

When:

Lookups on Merriam-Webster spiked on December 18, 2010.

Why:

The U.S. Senate voted to repeal the ban on openly gay people serving in the military.

Repeal means "to officially make a law no longer valid."

It comes from the French word that means "to call back."


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