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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 This includes rain-repelling treatments like Rain X, adds Musson. — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 12 Sep. 2026 The two countries’ ties have grown stronger since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022 with Pyongyang sending thousands of troops to Russia’s Kursk region to help repel a 2024 Ukrainian incursion there. — Reuters, NBC news, 7 Sep. 2026 Some microbiomes attracted the skeeters; others repelled them. — ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026 Reseeding helps block weed growth, repel lawn diseases, slow soil erosion, and strengthen growth in bare patches. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 29 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
  • Young people just aren’t interested, partly because they’re repulsed by bodily fluids.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of repulse
Verb
  • That is, Lamashtu spoke out about something that angered and disgusted the divine patriarch, and she was cast down to earth.
    — Eleanor Johnson, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Harrity, who is open about his own recovery, is troubled and disgusted by police believing Horsch preyed on women struggling with addiction.
    — Joe Holden, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of disgust
Verb
  • But resist the urge to throw every brightening ingredient at the problem.
    — Glamour, Glamour, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Attempts to coordinate the different agencies under a central authority to fight organized crime have failed in Congress, where professional associations representing those agencies have resisted anything that would reduce their power.
    — MATIAS SPEKTOR, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of resist
Verb
  • Outbreaks this year in Louisiana and last year in Florida sickened multiple children, including at least one who developed the same life-changing kidney condition as Brooklyn.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • This can include cases in which toxic chemicals drift into neighboring fields or communities and sicken people.
    — Robert J. Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of sicken
Verb
  • No sitting Democratic senator has publicly launched a bid to replace Schumer, and the candidates opposing him still need to win in November.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
  • This sense of necessity entirely opposes the narrative contingency in Spider-Noir’s other genre.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of oppose
Verb
  • Lawson has withstood a decades-long vivisection of her body and sexuality.
    — Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Its airframe is built largely from titanium and titanium alloys to withstand the extreme temperatures generated during sustained high-speed flight.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 1 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 5 Oct. 2026.

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