1
as in to subdue
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
the National Guard was called in to help quell the late-night disturbances downtown
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Recent Examples of quell
Turns out their insatiable desire for drama and noise has yet to be quelled, which means their upcoming batch of concerts will be as entrancing as ever.
—
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026
Herzen’s arrest was part of a sweeping crackdown on intellectual circles following the Decembrist uprising, as the tsarist regime sought to quell dissent.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Iranian officials disputed his claims of diplomatic progress and accused the president of trying to buy time and manipulate the financial and oil markets to quell mounting outrage over market instability.
—Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
In December, the Mouse House pledged to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and entered a three-year licensing agreement for allowing over 200 Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars characters’ likenesses to be used in Sora, quelling some of the text-to-video app’s brushups with copyright law.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quell
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026
Herzen’s arrest was part of a sweeping crackdown on intellectual circles following the Decembrist uprising, as the tsarist regime sought to quell dissent.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Iranian officials disputed his claims of diplomatic progress and accused the president of trying to buy time and manipulate the financial and oil markets to quell mounting outrage over market instability.
—Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
In December, the Mouse House pledged to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and entered a three-year licensing agreement for allowing over 200 Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars characters’ likenesses to be used in Sora, quelling some of the text-to-video app’s brushups with copyright law.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quell
Verb
-
Police attempted multiple nonlethal methods to subdue the man, including the use of a Taser and pepper spray, before one officer fired a gun.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Backed by his wife’s wealthy family, Coronado hoped to amass a fortune equal to that of Hernan Cortez, who had brutally subdued the Aztecs.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some shushed the crowds, urging them to be silent and reverent.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Levy sat on the floor, watching like a proud father and shushing whisperers.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The San Bernardino County Fire Department tested new technology on Monday designed to help suppress fires by using sound waves.—
Joy Benedict,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Acknowledge anxiety, sadness or grief with openness, instead of trying to suppress those feelings or fueling them with harsh self-criticism.—
J. David Creswell,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Under both regimes, Black voices and ideas are silenced.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Mar. 2026
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It was finally silenced, to cheers from the crowd, but then the main scoreboard and video screen that hangs over the middle of the court went dark.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Trident and the Times/Herald made public records requests seeking any motions to repress the report.—
Lawrence Mower,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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The Trident and the Herald/Times made public records requests seeking any motions to repress the report.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The impossibility of his quest began to settle in.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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The Southlake megachurch and its attorneys want to use someone from the American Arbitration Association or a district judge to settle the matter.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fulton County sought to have the FBI agent who wrote the affidavit testify at Friday’s hearing, but the Justice Department objected and the judge sided with the federal government and quashed the subpoena.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Eight days later, Chief Judge James Boasberg quashed government subpoenas issued to the Federal Reserve, dealing a severe blow to the government's investigation.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The keys are satisfying to type on and impressively hushed without feeling mushy.—
Aubrey Jowers,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
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What could have been a straightforward suburban critique is instead closer to a rich, deep baroque painting capturing longing, power, and hushed domestic drama.—
Vanity Fair,
Vanity Fair,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quell. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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