quell

1 of 2

verb

quelled; quelling; quells
Synonyms of quellnext

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
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Verb
Nigeria’s central bank cut its interest rate by far less than most economists expected in a move to quell inflation ahead of elections next year. semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026 But that did not quell concerns from some owners and their representatives who addressed the commission. Jennifer Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026 But that may not be enough to quell the voices demanding change. Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026 For parents hoping to quell their kids’ social media use, Haidt would avoid giving them smartphones before high school and forbid social media use before the age of 16. Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 23 Feb. 2026 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

14th 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 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quell. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

quell

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

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