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."
Synonyms
Verb (1)
- clamp down (on)
- crack down (on)
- crush
- put down
- quell
- repress
- silence
- slap down
- snuff (out)
- squash
- squelch
- subdue
- suppress
Verb (2)
Examples of quash in a Sentence
Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2023
But the special grand jury’s scope and work has drawn criticism, including from defense attorneys for Trump who previously sought to quash any evidence gathered by the panel.
—Holly Bailey, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Sep. 2023
While the men talk in August 1965, the California Army National Guard warily withdraws from Los Angeles, where 13,400 troops from its armored and infantry divisions have just quashed the Watts Rebellion, which had gotten beyond the control of city police.
—Matt Thompson, Spin, 10 Sep. 2023
Russia seeks to quash a Ukrainian counteroffensive and prolong the war, while North Korea is extending a record pace of missile tests to protest U.S. moves to reinforce its military alliances with South Korea and Japan.
—Hyung-Jin Kim and Kim Tong-Hyung, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Sep. 2023
McBurney's order comes just days after Senior Superior Court Judge Stephen Schuster scheduled a hearing for Aug. 10 on a secondary bid by Trump to disqualify Willis and quash the special grand jury's final report.
—Tamar Hallerman and Bill Rankin The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (tns), Arkansas Online, 1 Aug. 2023
Though the underlying human rights issues and economic troubles that drove much of the protests persist, the government’s intense crackdown has largely quashed public unrest — and the authorities want to keep it that way.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 16 Sep. 2023
Those plans, however, have been quashed. Sho Club, intended to be a Japanese fine-dining restaurant and hangout in Salesforce Park, is no longer happening, SFGate reported last week.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 11 Sep. 2023
At the same time, President Biden's offer to forgive up to $20,000 in student debt per borrower was quashed by the Supreme Court, even as some other debt-forgiveness and repayment programs are moving forward, which may leave some borrowers unclear on how to proceed.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 11 Sep. 2023
See More
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
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
Verb (1)
13th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Podcast
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!
Dictionary Entries Near quash
Cite this Entry
“Quash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quash. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
quash
2 of 2 verbVerb
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 verbTransitive verb
Anglo-French quasser, from Middle French casser quasser, from Late Latin cassare, from Latin cassus void
More from Merriam-Webster on quash
Nglish: Translation of quash for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of quash for Arabic Speakers
Share