repelling 1 of 2

adjective

as in repellent

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repelling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of repel
1
as in repulsing
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 disgusting
to cause to feel disgust the idea of chocolate-covered grasshoppers repels me

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3
as in resisting
to refuse to give in to repelled the temptation to stay out late and call in sick the next day

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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 repelling
Verb
The running back, 25, had a career night in his first game with the Chiefs, tallying 173 rushing yards on 23 carries, seemingly repelling opponents which resulted in multiple Broncos missed tackles. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026 This includes rain-repelling treatments like Rain X, adds Musson. — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 12 Sep. 2026 Most claims about cornstarch in gardening, such as repelling ants or boosting water retention, lack scientific evidence. — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2026 Eucalyptus Oil Eucalyptus oil works similarly to peppermint oil in repelling mice. — Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 28 Aug. 2026 This is more than a sophisticated arms race aimed at repelling threats and protecting borders. — Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 The Build Forward Ukraine team was also aware of Irpin and the special role the city had played in the dark early days, repelling the Russian ground offensive aimed at taking Kyiv, 14 miles south. — Howard Lafranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug. 2026 The meager platoon was a consolation from Lord Borros, who claims to be too busy repelling the Dornish to come to his queen’s aid. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 27 July 2026 We Baltimoreans treasure the role the 1814 battle played in repelling the mighty British forces, which were forced to abandon their siege of Fort McHenry. — Michel A. Ibrahim, Baltimore Sun, 25 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repelling
  1. repellent
  2. repulsing
  3. disgusting
  4. resisting
  5. repulsive
  6. appalling
  7. opposing
  8. revolting
Adjective
  • Rarely exhibited and here remade with another Trans Am as MBD_Trans Am (2026), the piece is paired with an ominous booming sound that is both alluring and repellent.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Along with the umbrellas to block the sun, people are equipped with mosquito repellant, water bottles, portable phone chargers and tripods.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of repellent
Verb
  • While there are dismemberments and other bits of gruesome violence to be found in the film, Badlands is largely aimed at endearing its audience rather than repulsing them.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025
Definition of repulsing
Verb
  • The consequences of disgusting one’s wife, whether or not one agrees with her premise, could be enormous.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Discharge Papers • Aw, The Pitt is back and happy to be disgusting again!
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
Definition of disgusting
Verb
  • Garces Perez faces one count of assaulting, resisting and impeding a federal officer.
    — Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • By resisting the siloing of art by geography and chronology, the rehang interrogated the style and substance of European modernism, as well as the ways later generations of artists reclaimed those histories.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of resisting
Adjective
  • However, all this may as well go out the window the further the film goes on, and the more Darya’s search for answers about her past plays out in the form of generative digital regurgitations with repulsive textures.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The play’s main character, Mack the Knife, is simultaneously attractive and repulsive, and the role works best when neither of those two sides is neglected.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of repulsive
Verb
  • The young Forster recoiled from the school’s culture of authoritarianism and militaristic chauvinism, which may have found expression in the students’ often appalling attitudes toward their own mothers.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
  • Of all the recent poster boys for appalling misbehavior by the State Police, Michael Proctor would of course rank number one.
    — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
Definition of appalling
Verb
  • Part of me wonders if quarterback Tyler Shough struggles to figure out opposing defenses and then finally breaks through.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Both sides presented gambling experts at trial who touted opposing theories.
    — Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of opposing
Adjective
  • Decide for yourself whether that’s a bold indicator of English football’s superiority over the rest of the world, or a revolting symbol of the bloated and vulgar behemoth that the game has become.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Their dynamic is instead a cudgel to beat the film into an even more revolting shape.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 10 July 2026
Definition of revolting

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repelling
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Cite this Entry

“Repelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repelling. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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