quash

1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈkwäsh 

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."

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• quell
• suppress
• subdue

Verb (2)

• abolish
• repeal
• cancel
• overturn
• avoid
• vacate

Examples of quash in a Sentence

Verb (1)

the dictator commanded the army to quash the uprising without mercy

Verb (2)

attorneys asked the court to quash the indictment

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Much of Black Hat network management consists of tolerating sketchy user behaviors that network admins would want to quash at other events, which here usually involve attendees testing a technique taught in a session. —PC Magazine, 9 Aug. 2025

The judge quashed various defense attempts to contest the merits of the act, but that didn’t stop the trial from unfolding as a a proxy for larger issues. —Randall Balmer, Twin Cities, 23 July 2025

Libor case overturned The U.K. Supreme Court has quashed the conviction of Tom Hayes, the former UBS and Citi trader who was sent to prison for 11 years for manipulating the Libor interest rate (an interbank lending rate used as the benchmark for setting mortgage rates in the 2000s). —Diane Brady, Fortune, 23 July 2025

Little Miami Local Schools' Board of Education quashed a move that would've restricted flags and displays inside classrooms at a special meeting Thursday evening. —Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

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

Rhymes for quash

• bosh
• frosh
• gosh
• josh
• posh
• slosh
• squash
• swash
• tosh
• wash
• backwash
• downwash

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Kids Definition

quash

1 of 2 verb

ˈkwäsh 

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

ˈkwäsh, ˈkwȯsh 

: 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