1
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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2
as in to cast
to throw or give off
something in a wastebasket was expelling a foul odor
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3
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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4
as in to exhale
to let or force out of the lungs
asked the patient to expel a deep breath
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expel
Legendary Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook and his co-creator on the HBO Max series The Sympathizer have been expelled from the Hollywood writers’ union after allegedly working during the strike.
—
Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 9 Aug. 2025
The acclaimed Oldboy director and the multiple Genie Award winner have both been expelled from the WGA West.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 8 Aug. 2025
With tens of billions of dollars in additional funding now directed toward ICE, Louisiana is at the leading edge of an expansive and aggressive nationwide effort to expel immigrants, far beyond the actions taken during the first Trump administration.
—Brent McDonald, New York Times, 31 July 2025
The destruction of Gaza is their path to expelling its inhabitants, repopulating it with Israelis, annexing the West Bank and creating what would inevitably become apartheid rule.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for expel
Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 9 Aug. 2025
The acclaimed Oldboy director and the multiple Genie Award winner have both been expelled from the WGA West.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 8 Aug. 2025
With tens of billions of dollars in additional funding now directed toward ICE, Louisiana is at the leading edge of an expansive and aggressive nationwide effort to expel immigrants, far beyond the actions taken during the first Trump administration.
—Brent McDonald, New York Times, 31 July 2025
The destruction of Gaza is their path to expelling its inhabitants, repopulating it with Israelis, annexing the West Bank and creating what would inevitably become apartheid rule.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for expel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expel
Verb
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Sometimes Evie imagined the land, the world, the city around her as a cartoon neighborhood, the houses’ edges elastic like balloons, their walls filling up and bloating and then, all at once, popping: ejecting out the riffraff and trash in a huff.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Aug. 2025
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The following year, he and Patricia were ejected from a Congressional hearing on the second amendment after exchanging words with lawmakers.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Your essay should not cast you as the unproblematic hero of every story.—
Christopher Rim,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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In most other companies, he would have never been cast as a leading man.—
David Lyman,
The Enquirer,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Although the bit, which was filled with a series of absurd interpretative dances, made the audience erupt with laughter, the actress was genuinely touched by the honor.—
Vivian Kwarm,
New York Daily News,
6 Aug. 2025
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Martin has been trying to put out fires in the Democratic civil war that erupted over Mamdani’s shock victory on June 24.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Finally, the Liberty could exhale after dropping the first two games of the season against the Mercury.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
25 July 2025
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He was either shrouded in haze (the gasps of the fog machine eventually became indistinguishable from the vapor being collectively exhaled by the crowd) or obscured by low-angle backlighting.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
Verb
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Ryan went into his Sept. 29, 2023, outing needing nine strikeouts for 200.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
21 July 2025
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Both are located close to downtown, offer accessible trails, and make for a fun and easy outing the whole family can enjoy.—
Abby Price,
Travel + Leisure,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Still, the brightest Perseids should shine through, especially during the predawn hours when the constellation Perseus — from which the meteors appear to radiate, hence the shower's name — climbs high in the northeastern sky.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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The shower originates from debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle and appears to radiate from the constellation Perseus in the northeastern sky.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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If that didn’t prevent the irritation, the protists used their cilia to spit water at the pipette.—
Claire L. Evans,
Quanta Magazine,
30 July 2025
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One moment there’s a dual-headed hydra spitting flame in the city river, next there’s an all-out jet ski race bathed in gunfire.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
30 July 2025
Verb
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If your clothes have a mildewy, musty smell, then vinegar can save the day by banishing these unwanted odors.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
2 Aug. 2025
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Growing up, Benesch’s parents banished television sets from their home.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
2 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Expel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expel. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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