EXPEL Synonyms: 111 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'expel' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of expel are eject , evict , and oust . While all these words mean "to drive or force out," expel stresses a thrusting out or driving away especially permanently which need not be physical. // a student expelled from college

Q: When would 'eject' be a good substitute for 'expel'?

While the synonyms eject and expel are close in meaning, eject carries an especially strong implication of throwing or thrusting out from within as a physical action. // ejected an obnoxious patron from the bar

Q: When could 'evict' be used to replace 'expel'?

The words evict and expel are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, evict chiefly applies to turning out of house and home. // evicted for nonpayment of rent

Q: When is it sensible to use 'oust' instead of 'expel'?

While in some cases nearly identical to expel , oust implies removal or dispossession by power of the law or by force or compulsion. // police ousted the squatters

expel

verb

ik-ˈspel

Definition of expel next

as in to eject

to drive or force out animal lover though I am, I was determined to expel the uninvited mouse from my room

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to cast

to throw or give off something in a wastebasket was expelling a foul odor

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as in to erupt

to violently throw out or off (something from within) ringing and flashing madly, the slot machine expelled a bucketful of quarters

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as in to exhale

to let or force out of the lungs asked the patient to expel a deep breath

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How does the verb expel contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of expel are eject, evict, and oust. While all these words mean "to drive or force out," expel stresses a thrusting out or driving away especially permanently which need not be physical.

a student expelled from college

When would eject be a good substitute for expel?

While the synonyms eject and expel are close in meaning, eject carries an especially strong implication of throwing or thrusting out from within as a physical action.

ejected an obnoxious patron from the bar

When could evict be used to replace expel?

The words evict and expel are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, evict chiefly applies to turning out of house and home.

evicted for nonpayment of rent

When is it sensible to use oust instead of expel?

While in some cases nearly identical to expel, oust implies removal or dispossession by power of the law or by force or compulsion.

police ousted the squatters

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of expel This is the palette of the machine-made, that which is inhuman, and Duchamp would drive the point home in Coffee Mill (1911), a tiny painting of a grinder that expels a cascade of brown beans. —

Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026 Luebke's father said he had been adopted from Liberia in 2009 and was primarily homeschooled before a stint at Forest Lake High School, where he was expelled for behavioral issues, charges say. —

Wcco Staff, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026 Facing the magnitude of the war and the real threat of Israeli occupation, Lebanon banned Hezbollah’s military actions on its soil and expelled the Iranian ambassador from its territory. —

Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026 The letter says that after the second incident, multiple members whose names are redacted were expelled by the fraternity’s disciplinary board. —

Matthew Kelly april 6, Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for expel

Recent Examples of Synonyms for expel

Verb

The incident is similar to Starlink satellite 35956, which also experienced an anomaly in December involving the venting of a propulsion tank and some ejected debris.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026
The game was marred late when Pacers forward Jalen Slawson was ejected following a blindside collision with Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart, which resulted in a shouting match between the coaching staffs.

— CBS News, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026