1
as in to subdue
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
the National Guard was called in to help quell the late-night disturbances downtown
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Recent Examples of quell
Suppliers have little say in these matters, except for the occasional eruption of bad PR that is quickly quelled by wholesalers’ supplier relations staff.
—
Errol Schweizer, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Last week, President Trump overrode California Gov. Gavin Newsom and sent in the National Guard and 700 Marines to Los Angeles to quell the protests.
—Caroline Linton, CBS News, 15 June 2025
Cadillac Avenue will remain closed overnight as crews continue to quell any flare ups, clean the area and begin their investigation.
—Andrea Klick, Oc Register, 15 June 2025
Trump sent National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles to help quell the unrest over the weekend, against California Governor Gavin Newsom's wishes.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for quell
Errol Schweizer, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Last week, President Trump overrode California Gov. Gavin Newsom and sent in the National Guard and 700 Marines to Los Angeles to quell the protests.
—Caroline Linton, CBS News, 15 June 2025
Cadillac Avenue will remain closed overnight as crews continue to quell any flare ups, clean the area and begin their investigation.
—Andrea Klick, Oc Register, 15 June 2025
Trump sent National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles to help quell the unrest over the weekend, against California Governor Gavin Newsom's wishes.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for quell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quell
Verb
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Many of these women, though seemingly silent or subdued, speak volumes through their emotions and inner turmoil.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 June 2025
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The overall market reaction to the attacks between the longtime regional foes has, admittedly, been fairly subdued since the strikes began late Thursday local time in New York.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
18 June 2025
Verb
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For a start, the cheers from the nearby Andy Murray Arena are loud and booming, but so too is the exclusive balcony area hanging just to the side of the court, where people are sipping their wine or their Pimm’s and chatting loudly (the judge on court 1 has to shush them at one point).—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
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The crowd had just spent an entire overtime shushing each other.—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Verb
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This outdated mentality fosters two counterproductive patterns: emotional repression, in which individuals suppress feelings, and emotional reactivity, where feelings are expressed impulsively and without regulation.—
Andriana Eliadis,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Firefighters are working to suppress the fire, which is currently burning with a slow rate of spread.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2025
Verb
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For Paul, the bout is another step in his attempt to silence the purists and reassert himself as more than a YouTube celebrity with gloves.—
Jad El Reda,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2025
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Book bans, especially those silencing LGBTQ voices, communities of color, and authors of marginalized backgrounds, are sweeping the nation, sending a chilling message about whose stories deserve to be told.—
Linda Johnson,
New York Daily News,
27 June 2025
Verb
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President Xi and the Chinese government brutally repress free expression and commit countless human rights violations.—
Jovante Teague,
Sun Sentinel,
17 June 2025
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Trump is openly envious of oil-rich Gulf States and the leaders who luxuriate in opulent grandeur, while free to repress anyone in their countries who complains about all that.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
Verb
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The unexpected matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers will be settled on Sunday, June 22 in Oklahoma City.—
Vitas Carosella,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
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Listen to this article OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma ‘s $7 billion-plus plan to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids will go before a judge Friday, potentially setting up votes on whether to accept it for local governments, people who became addicted to the drug and other groups.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Jumaane Williams secured reelection Tuesday as the city’s public advocate, quashing a challenge from Jenifer Rajkumar, a moderate state lawmaker known for her strong affiliation with Mayor Adams.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
25 June 2025
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However, the two seemed to quash rumors with a joint appearance on the first day of Royal Ascot 2025.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
22 June 2025
Verb
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That’s where Panthers players continued their week-long celebration — Cats also lead the NHL in celebrating — as Conn Smythe playoffs MVP and pending free agent Sam Bennett took the mic as the crowd hushed.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
22 June 2025
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Game 2 is on Sunday. 3h ago / 8:07 PM PDT Share Home crowd has gone silent Andrew Greif Reporting from Oklahoma City Tyrese Haliburton hits a go-ahead jumper with 0.3 of a second left to take a 111-110 lead and the home crowd has hushed in stunned disbelief.—
Greg Rosenstein,
NBC news,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quell. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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