rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryexpelForcing out
verb

expel

ik-SPEL/ɪkˈspel/

To force someone or something out.

The security guard expels the resisting woman by escorting her through the doorway.

A security guard physically escorts a resisting adult out through an open building doorway, visibly forcing her across the threshold.
Etymology
exLatinout
+pelLatindrive

The pieces mean “drive out,” making force central to the word. Expelling someone or something means causing departure or removal, rather than simply allowing it to leave.

In context

TED-Ed4:19
The colon squeezes this byproduct into a pouch called the rectum, where nerves sense it expanding and tell the body when it's time to expel the waste.
How your digestive system works - Emma Bryce

More examples

  • The school expelled him for repeatedly threatening other students.
  • The government is expelling three foreign diplomats.
  • A strong cough helps expel mucus from the lungs.

Forms

expel · expels · expelled · expelling

expulsion noun — The forced removal of someone or something.

Similar words

eject
Often suggests a sudden or mechanical action forcing something out.
oust
Especially means forcing someone from a position of power.
remove
Means taking away, without necessarily using force or authority.