expel

verb

ex·​pel ik-ˈspel 

expelled; expelling

transitive verb

1

: to force out : eject

expelled the smoke from her lungs

2

: to force to leave (a place, an organization, etc.) by official action : take away rights or privileges of membership

was expelled from college

expellable

ik-ˈspe-lə-bəl 

adjective

Did you know?

To expel is to drive out, and its usual noun is expulsion. Expel is similar to eject, but expel suggests pushing out while eject suggests throwing out. Also, ejecting may only be temporary: the player ejected from a game may be back tomorrow, but the student expelled from school is probably out forever.

Synonyms

• banish
• boot (out)
• bounce
• cast out
• chase
• dismiss
• drum (out)
• eject
• extrude
• kick out
• oust
• out
• rout
• run off
• throw out
• turf (out) [chiefly British]
• turn out

Choose the Right Synonym for expel

eject, expel, oust, evict mean to drive or force out.

eject carries an especially strong implication of throwing or thrusting out from within as a physical action.

ejected an obnoxious patron from the bar

expel stresses a thrusting out or driving away especially permanently which need not be physical.

a student expelled from college

oust implies removal or dispossession by power of the law or by force or compulsion.

police ousted the squatters

evict chiefly applies to turning out of house and home.

evicted for nonpayment of rent

Example Sentences

The club may expel members who do not follow the rules.

She was expelled from school for bad behavior.

expel air from the lungs

Recent Examples on the Web

Although President Biden entered office pledging to create a less restrictive policy, his administration continued to use Title 42 to expel families while exempting unaccompanied minors. —William A. Galston, WSJ, 20 Dec. 2022

The asylum rule has been used by the Biden administration to expel migrant families and single adults, though not children traveling alone. —Dallas News, 7 Dec. 2022

While mifepristone is followed up with a second medication called misoprostol that causes the uterus to contract and expel tissue, the FDA rule only applies to the first drug. —Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2023

However, any member could introduce a resolution to potentially punish or expel Santos. —George Santos, Fox News, 11 Jan. 2023

Misoprostol is taken 24 to 48 hours later, causing the uterus to contract and expel pregnancy tissue. —Matthew Perrone, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2023

The Beating Ghost festival, or Da Gui festival in Chinese, is an important ritual of Tibetan Buddhism and is believed to expel evil spirits and shake off troubles. —CNN, 2 Jan. 2023

For much of the night, that offense threatened to expel top-seeded Georgia and end its quest to become the lone back-to-back champion in playoff history. —Alan Blinder, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2023

The Biden administration has not yet announced efforts to expel Cuban or Nicaraguan migrants to Mexico or to offer them the legal pathway that some Venezuelans have been offered. —CBS News, 22 Oct. 2022

See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English expellen, from Latin expellere, from ex- + pellere to drive — more at felt

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

expel

verb

ex·​pel ik-ˈspel 

expelled; expelling

1

: to drive or force out

expel air from the lungs

2

: to force to leave usually by official action

expelled from school