quash

1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈkwäsh How to pronounce quash (audio)
ˈkwȯsh
quashed; quashing; quashes

transitive verb

: to suppress or extinguish summarily and completely
quash a rebellion

quash

2 of 2

verb (2)

quashed; quashing; quashes

transitive verb

: to nullify especially by judicial action
quash an indictment

Did you know?

There are two quash verbs in the English language, and although their meanings are similar, they have entirely different origins. Both essentially mean to get rid of something—you can quash a rumor, for example, or you can quash a judicial order. The legal term quash (meaning "to nullify") comes from the Anglo-French words casser or quasser, meaning "to annul," and is ultimately from Latin cassus, "to void." The other quash means "to suppress or extinguish summarily and completely." It derives from the Middle English word quashen, meaning "to smash," and is ultimately from a form of the Latin verb quatere, meaning "to shake."

Examples of quash in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The agency argues that the merger, the largest supermarket deal ever, will lead to a retail giant with more power to quash union boycotts and strikes. Diane Brady, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 While Earth teems with life, our neighbor seems determined to quash it. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024 The president of Argentina embraced Pope Francis during an extensive meeting in Rome this week, quashing a long-standing feud with the pontiff. Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 13 Feb. 2024 But her freezing frustrations are far from unique: Across Russia, creaking infrastructure and a wave of accidents have plunged households into the cold in the depth of winter, fueling rare showings of anger and irritation in a country where public criticism has been increasingly quashed. Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2024 In writer-director Denis Villeneuve’s sequel to 2021’s hit Dune, in theaters now, Walken plays the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, who schemes to quash the royal house of Chalamet’s Paul Atreides. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 Herridge and the network moved to quash them, asserting her work was protected by the 1st Amendment. Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Fox News and Herridge aggressively fought the move, arguing that Cooper should quash the subpoenas because of First Amendment protections afforded to the press. Oliver Darcy, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 The airline has been reeling since a federal judge quashed a merger between JetBlue and Spirit Airlines a month ago. Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quash.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English quashen to smash, from Anglo-French quasser, casser, from Latin quassare to shake violently, shatter, frequentative of quatere to shake

Verb (2)

Middle English quassen, from Anglo-French casser, quasser to annul, from Late Latin cassare, from Latin cassus void

First Known Use

Verb (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of quash was in the 13th century

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Dictionary Entries Near quash

Cite this Entry

“Quash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quash. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

quash

1 of 2 verb
ˈkwäsh How to pronounce quash (audio)
ˈkwȯsh
: to put down completely : quell
quash a rebellion

quash

2 of 2 verb
: to cancel by court action
quash a criminal charge
Etymology

Verb

Middle English quashen "to smash," from early French quasser, casser (same meaning), from Latin quassare "to shake violently, shatter," from quatere "to shake"

Verb

Middle English quashen "to nullify," from early French casser, quasser "to annul," from Latin cassare (same meaning), from earlier Latin cassus "void"

Legal Definition

quash

transitive verb
: to make void : annul sense 2
quash a subpoena
Etymology

Transitive verb

Anglo-French quasser, from Middle French casser quasser, from Late Latin cassare, from Latin cassus void

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