The described technology is generally directed towards adaptively selecting a repetition level in wireless communications, based on events to improve coverage range via the repetition level while not unnecessarily reducing throughput. One such event can include a current signal-to-noise-ratio, e.g., as reported in a channel quality indicator report from a user equipment. Another such event can comprise a number of consecutive hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgments or negative acknowledgments (HARQ ACKS/NACKS), in which consecutive ACKs tend to indicate good signal quality, while consecutive NACKs tend to indicate poor signal quality. A combination of channel quality indicator-based adaptive repetition level and HARQ ACK/NACK-based adaptive repetition level can be employed.