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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Trump sent National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles to help quell the unrest over the weekend, against California Governor Gavin Newsom's wishes. Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025 Federal troops and California National Guard units joined forces with local law enforcement officers to quell the turmoil, but not without harrowing results. Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025 Sending National Guard troops into a municipality to quell disturbances is not a solution in a free society. Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025 In addition to the 2,000 National Guard troops deployed over the weekend, without the request or approval of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, on Tuesday President Donald Trump sent around 700 active-duty Marines to L.A. to quell demonstrations. Solcyré Burga, Time, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for quell

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quell. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.

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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