quelled; quelling; quells
1
: to thoroughly overwhelm and reduce to submission or passivity
quell a riot
queller
noun
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
Dan Lovi, Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
Washington sent troops to Pennsylvania to quell the protest under the Militia Act of 1792, which allowed the president to organize state militias in times of crisis.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
While tensions flare and protests build, so does widespread concern over what some say is the excessive use of crowd control tactics to quell and disperse demonstrators not just in Minnesota, but in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland as well.
—Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026
Mayor says subpoenas are to stoke fear Walz and Frey, both Democrats, have called the probe a bullying tactic meant to quell political opposition.
—Steve Karnowski, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quell
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Verb
Brannon Martinsen complimented him with 16 points that included a couple of timely shots that quelled any momentum Harvard-Westlake was trying to build.
—Dan Lovi, Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
Washington sent troops to Pennsylvania to quell the protest under the Militia Act of 1792, which allowed the president to organize state militias in times of crisis.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
While tensions flare and protests build, so does widespread concern over what some say is the excessive use of crowd control tactics to quell and disperse demonstrators not just in Minnesota, but in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland as well.
—Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026
Mayor says subpoenas are to stoke fear Walz and Frey, both Democrats, have called the probe a bullying tactic meant to quell political opposition.
—Steve Karnowski, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quell
Cite this Entry
“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quell. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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