rappel
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
verb
noun
-
another word (esp US) for abseil
-
(formerly) a drumbeat to call soldiers to arms
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of rappel
1930–35; < French: mountaineering term, literally, a recall. See repeal
Compare meaning
How does rappel compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
When rock climbers rappel, they lower themselves down the side of a wall or mountain. To rappel safely, a climber uses special anchors and climbing ropes, as well as the help of another person. Descending is the riskiest part of mountaineering, so many climbers rappel instead of simply climbing down using hand- and footholds. Various tools and equipment can help a climber rappel even more safely, but the most important one is a good rope that's securely anchored. The French rappel literally means "recall." Some English speakers use the term abseil instead.
Vocabulary lists containing rappel
Into Thin Air
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The Canyon's Edge
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Wild Wings
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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:
"The initial descent into the cave isn't too deep -- we would tie a rope to the side and then rappel down," says Viñola López.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
Special Forces to rappel down from helicopters onto the decks of two shadow tankers in the Indian Ocean.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
You can watch our soldiers rappel out of one of the Seahawks just like Santa’s elves.
From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2025
Wardwell embarked on the trail Sunday morning to rappel the waterfalls but was reported missing on Monday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2025
Then Fischer plodded slowly on toward the summit, while Harris, Boukreev, Adams, and I turned to rappel down the Step.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
It is the best adventure ever until Chase starts setting up the fourth of six rappels.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 16, 2022
Featuring five zip lines, two aerial bridges and two rappels, this zip-line tour goes from the top of the Village Express Chairlift and descends to the ski resort base.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 2, 2022
The descent is virtually no-fall terrain involving four 60-meter rappels over the ice pitches and a traverse of a short-hanging snowfield.
From New York Times ● Dec. 31, 2021
The Girl on the Balcony is most startling when Hussey rappels off Shakespeare’s ledge to scamper around Hollywood.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 1, 2018
Upon reaching the top of the rock steps at 28,400 feet, he was confronted with a series of short but troublesome rappels that angled along the ridge.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
Once inside, they climbed, rappelled, crawled, and even floated through flooded sections while recording the caves' shapes and fracture patterns.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 2, 2026
Border Patrol agents from an elite unit rappelled from a hovering Black Hawk helicopter onto the roof of a 130-unit apartment complex.
From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2026
On a recent afternoon at the city’s aging police academy, young officers rappelled down walls and simulated hand-to-hand combat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2025
“I rappelled down to him and stayed with him for four hours until his light faded,” Mr Holecek said.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2024
On the ceiling, he rappelled down and hung in front of Nathan’s face.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
President Emmanuel Macron posted a video of the seizure, which showed commandos rappelling from a helicopter onto the ship.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
Elsewhere around the country, a raid on a Chicago apartment building in the middle of the night—featuring agents rappelling down the building from a Black Hawk helicopter—earned the administration plenty of controversy, but no apologies.
From Slate ● Jan. 28, 2026
Marines rappelling from helicopters onto a civilian oil tanker.
From Salon ● Dec. 28, 2025
“Being on a high-rise building and rappelling down.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2025
They yank up the other harnesses along the cliff, strap themselves in, and begin rappelling down.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
