Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

repel

[ri-pel] / rɪˈpɛl /




Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

These include PFAS—or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances—to repel water and stains, formaldehyde-releasing resins to resist wrinkles, biocides to control odor, silicone softeners and dyes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Because objects with the same charge normally push away from each other, DNA molecules might be expected to repel one another.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

I had hoped the bangs would repel him, but my new facial accessory failed to be a punctuation between us in the way I’d imagined.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

That ability to repel opposition players has become a trademark move.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

We both keep our space, never passing close to one another, like magnets set to repel.

From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko

In one part of the conveyor system, a vibrating panel called an eddy current creates a sort of reverse magnet that repels nonferrous materials like aluminum beverage cans into their own collection area.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

“Bug spray repels them like it repels any other insect, so you just have to kind of hope that you don’t get eaten alive,” Reaves said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

In the northern Danish city of Aalborg, the firm MyDefence makes equipment that jams and repels drones.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2025

But with all the progress being made, and a true effort to fix this problem that generally repels people from the sport, the numbers are starting to go back up in California.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2024

It has a thick hide that repels most charms and curses, a large, sharp horn upon its nose and a long, rope-like tail.

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling

This tiny country repelled an attack by its giant neighbour and retained its independence.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

"Debris has been reported in the area of the port of Vysotsk," Drozdenko said on social media early Saturday, while saying the "attack was still being repelled."

From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026

They were briefly repelled by a security guard, who along with two other victims in the parking lot, alerted people at the center and police to the attack, saving lives.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026

The situation on the front lines has also improved, with Russian assaults largely repelled in most areas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026

I knelt on the carpet, listening to my father but studying this stranger, and felt suspended between them, drawn to each, repelled by both.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

If elected, Wadagni is expected to be able to count on the loyalty of the army, which played a decisive role in repelling an attempted coup against Talon in December.

From Barron's ● Apr. 12, 2026

It’s almost perfect, in other words, for repelling crowds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

The rod-shaped CSV nanocrystals improve how well the perovskite precursor spreads across the typically water repelling SAM surface, allowing for more uniform coverage.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 1, 2026

This performance, one especially dear to Mr. Nakadai, still haunts, at once repelling viewers while somehow eliciting their sympathy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025

The scene which met mv eyes was at once compelling and repelling.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole


Vocabulary lists containing repel

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training