1
as in to repulse
to drive back
the defenders repelled the attacking army after several hours of fierce fighting
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of repel
As this would clearly seem to spell trouble for the incumbent party, Harris has largely tried to change the subject, such as by parading around with Liz Cheney in an effort to drum up support from highly-engaged, news-attentive Republican voters repelled by Trump.
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David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Israel's attack came in response to Iran's 180-missile attack against Israel three weeks earlier, which Israel's air defenses mostly repelled.
—Barak Ravid, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024
For low-porosity hair, which tends to repel moisture, lighter treatments like this provide hydration without overwhelming the strands.
—Iman Balagam, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2024
Hassabis told Scientific American in a 2022 interview that the AI appears to understand the various forces that attract and repel the amino acid components to and from one another.
—Josh Fischman, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for repel 
David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Israel's attack came in response to Iran's 180-missile attack against Israel three weeks earlier, which Israel's air defenses mostly repelled.
—Barak Ravid, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024
For low-porosity hair, which tends to repel moisture, lighter treatments like this provide hydration without overwhelming the strands.
—Iman Balagam, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2024
Hassabis told Scientific American in a 2022 interview that the AI appears to understand the various forces that attract and repel the amino acid components to and from one another.
—Josh Fischman, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for repel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repel
Verb
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He is especially repulsed by the behavior of Republicans after the 2020 election.Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 4 Nov. 2024
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Is she drawn to Chevalier and his alleged acts, or repulsed by them?Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Yet some of us in the audience, disgusted by the persistence of Nazism and anti-immigrant invective in the present, may well appreciate the force of McQueen’s rhetoric.Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
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The writer was disgusted with church policies of putting young women under control of male members and that one had repeatedly raped his charge and bragged about it.Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 30 Sep. 2024
Verb
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Congress, however, resisted, and the proposal never became law.Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
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After treating the divas to a lovely performance on harp, the gofer can’t resist a bit of braggadocio.Greg Evans, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Foodborne pathogens sicken one in six Americans annually, leading to 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths, according to the FDA.Louis Biscotti, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
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The number of people sickened in an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s burgers rose to 90, the CDC said.Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Such a test would be a sign of China’s weakening influence over Pyongyang and could spur Seoul to try to acquire nuclear weapons of its own—a position that both South Korea and the United States officially oppose but is gaining traction in Western policy circles.Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
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On October 10, commissioners voted to oppose an expansion of the number of SpaceX rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base, on the Santa Barbara coast.Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Each stainless steel piece distributes heat evenly and efficiently and is oven-safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, while the glass lids can withstand temperatures up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.Maggie Horton, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024
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The fabric enables wearers to stay dry and comfortable on their run, ride or route, while withstanding wear and tear for resilience.SJ Studio, Sourcing Journal, 21 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Repel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repel. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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