quell

verb

\ ˈkwel

quelled; quelling; quells

Definition of quell

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to thoroughly overwhelm and reduce to submission or passivity quell a riot

2 : quiet, pacify quell fears

quell

noun

Definition of quell (Entry 2 of 2)

1 obsolete : slaughter

2 archaic : the power of quelling

Other Words from quell Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about quell

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Examples of quell in a Sentence

Verb

the National Guard was called in to help quell the late-night disturbances downtown the principal held up her hand to quell the students so they could hear the urgent announcement

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But the report is unlikely to quell the political debate in Congress and elsewhere over whether President Trump improperly sought to thwart the Russia investigation. — Jacob Gershman, WSJ, "The Law Behind Mueller’s Findings on Obstruction, Collusion," 18 Apr. 2019 Other opponents worry that additional investigations will unfairly constrict American companies and actually help foreign countries, and say that existing export control laws are sufficient to quell national security concerns. — New York Times, "What Would an Expanded Foreign Investment Committee Do?," 27 June 2018 While Duterte says the move is necessary to boost economic growth and quell a decades-long Muslim insurgency, his opponents see it as a ploy to stay in power. — Bloomberg.com, "Duterte's Bid to Give Away Power Raises Eyebrows in Manila," 7 Feb. 2018 Paruta's solution to quelling the anger: Make the streetcar free to ride and have churches in Over-the-Rhine gather around the route and pray for the curse to be lifted. — Jason Williams, Cincinnati.com, "PX: Is Cincinnati's streetcar cursed? Here's what Bible scholar, psychic have to say," 22 Jan. 2018 The nascent initiative has been an intense focus in recent weeks and includes taking steps to change state party rules, crowd out potential rivals and quell any early signs of opposition that could embarrass the president. — Zeke Miller, The Seattle Times, "Trump campaign takes steps to prevent a challenge within GOP," 4 Feb. 2019 Hoping to quell concerns, the company included a mic/camera disable button on both Portal devices, as well as a physical camera cover. — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "Facebook unveils smart displays, promises not to snoop on your video calls," 8 Oct. 2018 Government troops fired tear gas and shotgun pellets to quell the protests while authorities restricted movement in old quarters of the city. — Fox News, "Clashes erupt around Kashmir after Indian troops kill man," 27 Sep. 2018 In response, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has offered to send federal assistance to quell the violence, as local police faced criticism for failing to tamp down the demonstrations and counterdemonstrations. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "Far-right rallies in Germany descend into violence," 28 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'quell.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for quell

Verb

Middle English, to kill, quell, from Old English cwellan to kill; akin to Old High German quellen to torture, kill, quāla torment, Lithuanian gelti to hurt

Noun

Middle English, from quellen to kill

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