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
She was speaking on board a patrol ship in Helsinki harbour where she watched armed border agents rappel from a helicopter to show how they seize Russian vessels.
From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2026
You can watch our soldiers rappel out of one of the Seahawks just like Santa’s elves.
From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2025
“I often get to climb, rappel, hike, bike or paddle some sections of the race—usually the most fun parts!”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 22, 2025
Kaz secured another coil of rope to the roof’s edge and prepared to rappel down to the shore.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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
As Becks pilots their spaceship, Rani rappels down a rope and sets out to get the lay of the land.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 17, 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
He had finished the climb and was hauling up equipment when he likely rappelled off the end of his rope, Dylan said.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2025
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
Jess Squirrel rappelled swiftly down to the road on a rope.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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
But U.S. special operations forces rappelling onto the deck External link of a fleeing oil tanker protected by a Russian sub like they did Wednesday?
From Barron's ● Jan. 7, 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.
