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There are two quash verbs in the English language, and although their meanings are similar, they have entirely different origins. Both essentially mean to get rid of something—you can quash a rumor, for example, or you can quash a judicial order. The legal term quash (meaning "to nullify") comes from the Anglo-French words casser or quasser, meaning "to annul," and is ultimately from Latin cassus, "to void." The other quash means "to suppress or extinguish summarily and completely." It derives from the Middle English word quashen, meaning "to smash," and is ultimately from a form of the Latin verb quatere, meaning "to shake."
Examples of quash in a Sentence
IEEE Spectrum, 15 July 2025
Residents who were with Chapman at the courthouse said the alderwoman’s arrests for allegedly disrupting City Council meetings are part of a bigger effort by the mayor to quash public participation in government.
—Mike Nolan, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025
Officials previously quashed a TikTok video reportedly circulating showing Morrison announcing Decker’s arrest following a long standoff.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025
Swift’s team moved to quash the subpoenas, and Baldoni’s side withdrew them.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for quash
Cite this Entry
“Quash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quash. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quash
2 of 2 verbVerb
Middle English quashen "to smash," from early French quasser, casser (same meaning), from Latin quassare "to shake violently, shatter," from quatere "to shake"
Verb
Middle English quashen "to nullify," from early French casser, quasser "to annul," from Latin cassare (same meaning), from earlier Latin cassus "void"
Legal Definition
quash
transitive verbTransitive verb
Anglo-French quasser, from Middle French casser, quasser, from Late Latin cassare, from Latin cassus void
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