quell

1 of 2

verb

quelled; quelling; quells

transitive verb

1
: to thoroughly overwhelm and reduce to submission or passivity
quell a riot
2
: quiet, pacify
quell fears
queller noun

quell

2 of 2

noun

1
obsolete : slaughter
2
archaic : the power of quelling

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
The update failed to quell speculation in China about what caused the fatal crash, with some asking why investigators had not disclosed information from the black boxes. Nectar Gan, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 The couple were seen in video footage published on the Sun newspaper’s website this week, visiting a farm shop in Windsor, which some observers speculated could quell the online rumors. Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for quell 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quell.' 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

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

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near quell

Cite this Entry

“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quell. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

quell

verb
ˈkwel
1
: to put down by force
quell a riot
2
: quiet entry 3
quell fears
queller noun

More from Merriam-Webster on quell

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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