repel

verb

ri-ˈpel How to pronounce repel (audio)
Definition of repelnext
1
as in to repulse
to drive back the defenders repelled the attacking army after several hours of fierce fighting

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to disgust
to cause to feel disgust the idea of chocolate-covered grasshoppers repels me

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to resist
to refuse to give in to repelled the temptation to stay out late and call in sick the next day

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 repel Bringing them together is difficult because nuclei carry positive electrical charges and repel each other. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026 Use bulb cages or buried layers of hardware cloth to repel rodents, and try adding tree guards and fencing to fend off larger animals. — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 28 Oct. 2026 The coating allows fibers to repel liquids—even alcohol—without surface treatments by adding during melt processing. — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026 Federal law prohibits armed federal agents from conducting activities in and around polling places unless force is necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States. — Ana Goñi-Lessan, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for repel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repel
  1. repulse
  2. disgust
  3. resist
  4. sicken
  5. oppose
  6. withstand
Verb
  • Her widowed aunt plays chaperone as Susanna attends heady lectures and repulses her many suitors.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Young people just aren’t interested, partly because they’re repulsed by bodily fluids.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of repulse
Verb
  • Nonpartisan voters are just as disgusted by politicians who sacrifice the public good for their personal gain.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Kaufhold thinks that something might be a heightened sensitivity to disgust.
    — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of disgust
Verb
  • Anthropic researchers demonstrated this weakness by using Claude to generate seemingly innocent stories that taught other models to resist human oversight.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Judges failing to award fees and government agencies unreasonably resisting paying them make the problem even worse.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of resist
Verb
  • The Aliso Canyon gas leak took nearly four months to control, sickened thousands of families and forced them from their homes near the San Fernando Valley to escape a sulfurous stench and maladies including headaches, nausea and nose bleeds.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The finding also comes on the heels of a record-breaking cyclospora outbreak this summer that sickened 12,883 people across 21 states, hospitalized at least 570 and was associated with two deaths in Michigan.
    — Megan R. Wilson, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of sicken
Verb
  • Cotton has opposed ending daylight saving for years, arguing that children would head to school before sunrise and commuters could face safety risks during the winter months.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The union and its affiliated Our Schools PAC reported $620,000 in direct contributions to district candidates, but groups opposed to the union’s influence have spent far more.
    — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of oppose
Verb
  • Russia’s deep industrial reserves and Ukraine’s impressive adaptation have shown that complex energy systems can withstand enormous damage.
    — Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Sourcing is becoming less about finding the lowest-cost manufacturing option and more about building a supply chain that can withstand constant change.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of withstand

Browse Nearby Words

repeats
repel
repelled
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Cite this Entry

“Repel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repel. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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