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 The first North Korean deployment began in the Kursk region in October 2024, to repel a Ukrainian incursion, the first on Russian soil since the Nazis. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 The drawback of using essential oils to repel flies is that their efficacy is short-lived. — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 21 Aug. 2026 One option is Crepe Protect’s spray, which creates a thin hydrophobic coating that helps repel liquids and stains. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 19 Aug. 2026 The Ukrainian defenders repelled the attack and posted video footage of their kamikaze drone strikes destroying at least seven T-72B3A tanks, including some that carried the Arena-M system, according to Euromaidan Press. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 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
  • His recent comments didn’t favor the Browns fanbase, and many Cleveland fans seem viscerally repulsed by him.
    — Andy Behrens, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Most Americans are repulsed by the core ideas of radical leftists.
    — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of repulse
Verb
  • Allie, in particular, is disgusted by the men who treat her as functionally interchangeable with any other available, able-bodied woman.
    — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
  • If the polls are any indication, Americans in general are disgusted with Washington’s Israel policy.
    — Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of disgust
Verb
  • He was arrested and will be booked on felony evading, hit-and-run and felony resisting arrest, police said.
    — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The fungus can spread between patients and resist some antifungal treatments.
    — Katia Riddle, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of resist
Verb
  • The broader outbreak has sickened hundreds of people across the country and led to dozens of hospitalizations.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The tally of people sickened in the outbreak by the parasite cyclospora is now 11,458, the FDA said, up from about 10,900 reported last week.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of sicken
Verb
  • The union has opposed such a window on the belief players would feel forced into subpar contracts.
    — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • With Gaines expected to command significant attention from opposing defenses, FIU will need other playmakers to step up.
    — Alejandro Hernandez, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of oppose
Verb
  • Engineers will study how those pathways can fit within components that must withstand operational loads.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The solution, then, is to use products specifically formulated to withstand the day’s challenges.
    — Laura Sandroni, Vogue, 31 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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