1
as in ejecting
to drive or force out
animal lover though I am, I was determined to expel the uninvited mouse from my room
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in radiating
to throw or give off
something in a wastebasket was expelling a foul odor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in erupting
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 exhaling
to let or force out of the lungs
asked the patient to expel a deep breath
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expelling
Their boneless design also enables unique movement — from crawling along the ocean floor to jetting through water by expelling it rapidly from their bodies.
—
Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
No direct hits are required; shock waves from a jet can ripple across hundreds of thousands of light-years to churn galactic gas into stars or to extinguish star formation entirely by expelling those gas reservoirs into intergalactic space.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
López Aliaga, the ultraconservative former mayor of Peru’s capital, Lima, focuses on a hard-line security agenda, proposing to build prisons in the country’s Amazon region, allowing judges to conceal their identities and expelling foreigners who are living illegally in Peru.
—Franklin Briceño, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Several lawmakers had suggested expelling both Swalwell and Gonzales in an even trade-off for the parties.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Still, expelling a House member requires a two-thirds majority vote, which may prove a high bar to clear.
—Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
The infrared radiation emitted from the Astrophage carries a certain amount of momentum, and, in keeping with the conservation of momentum, the Astrophage gains momentum in the opposite direction—similar to how a rocket experiences thrust by expelling mass through its exhaust.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026
The Iranian embassy in the national capital Canberra remains staffed, despite the Australian government expelling the ambassador last year.
—CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
The more stars a galaxy forms, the stronger its matter-expelling effects become, leaving less and less material available for future star-formation episodes.
—Big Think, 13 Mar. 2026
Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
No direct hits are required; shock waves from a jet can ripple across hundreds of thousands of light-years to churn galactic gas into stars or to extinguish star formation entirely by expelling those gas reservoirs into intergalactic space.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
López Aliaga, the ultraconservative former mayor of Peru’s capital, Lima, focuses on a hard-line security agenda, proposing to build prisons in the country’s Amazon region, allowing judges to conceal their identities and expelling foreigners who are living illegally in Peru.
—Franklin Briceño, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Several lawmakers had suggested expelling both Swalwell and Gonzales in an even trade-off for the parties.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Still, expelling a House member requires a two-thirds majority vote, which may prove a high bar to clear.
—Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
The infrared radiation emitted from the Astrophage carries a certain amount of momentum, and, in keeping with the conservation of momentum, the Astrophage gains momentum in the opposite direction—similar to how a rocket experiences thrust by expelling mass through its exhaust.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026
The Iranian embassy in the national capital Canberra remains staffed, despite the Australian government expelling the ambassador last year.
—CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
The more stars a galaxy forms, the stronger its matter-expelling effects become, leaving less and less material available for future star-formation episodes.
—Big Think, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expelling
Verb
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Investigators said the Jeep’s rear door was damaged and opened during the crash, ejecting a juvenile girl.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
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The pilot of the A-10 was able to fly his crippled aircraft into Kuwaiti airspace before ejecting.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For patrician statesmen, grandeur is usually understated, radiating restraint rather than gawk-inspiring shows of brazen wealth.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
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On the water, the 55-year-old mother seems to come alive, her adventurous spirit radiating outward, lighting her from the inside out.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That impact and his trajectory launched his dragster up into the air, erupting in a fireball, breaking into pieces and getting badly tangled in the catch fencing.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
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The first batch of storms erupting in the western part of the threat zone is the one most likely to spin up tornadoes and unleash the biggest hail, which could total vehicles, shatter windows and damage roofs.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Curry, wearing a bulky wrap around his knee, leaned back and took a long, deep breath before exhaling as the game tipped off.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
6 Apr. 2026
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Much of Electrical Field of Love has a loose, improvisatory feel, with Gibbs and Lewis laying down thick, burrowing grooves, Ross adding textured flair, and Muldrow exhaling drawn-out, chantlike phrases or compact, laser-like screams on top of it all.—
Reed Jackson,
SPIN,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Angels could be seen all around — some on the walls depicting Moses' life and death, and another above, on Michelangelo’s fresco, banishing Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
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Was banishing Natalie Anderson Tara’s ultimate undoing?—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As with the first season, this one’s a casting coup with the four leads likely to land Emmy nominations (in particular Spaney and Melton, two of the best young actors working today).—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
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These exorbitant units dot Manhattan's skyline, casting long shadows over Central Park and city streets.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When John begins spitting out his food, his mother, Heather (Shirley Henderson), worn down by exhaustion and anger, banishes him from the dinner table—the first in an unceasing series of maternal rejections.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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There’s one climactic moment involving spitting when the staging undermines the action.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After vacating the conviction, the judge took the additional step of dismissing the murder charge against Martinez, ending the criminal case against him entirely.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
21 Apr. 2026
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Before dismissing this activity or just trying to get through it, recognize your tendency to view nearly everything as a situation from which to extricate yourself as quickly and painlessly as possible.—
Charles Yu,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expelling. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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