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
The United Nations has staged one of the costliest peacekeeping operations in its history in the country, but has not been able to quell the violence.
—
Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2025
Wednesday’s market relief in response to Trump’s Truth Social post indicates the President may have quelled some of the jitters of nervous traders but not those of CEOs.
—Time, 10 Apr. 2025
Those rumors were quelled a bit when Smith was traded for, but Las Vegas might still be making a play to land the star quarterback prospect.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
The mind games that are typically part of every Miami game were quelled by Vancouver’s fearless play.
—Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quell
Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2025
Wednesday’s market relief in response to Trump’s Truth Social post indicates the President may have quelled some of the jitters of nervous traders but not those of CEOs.
—Time, 10 Apr. 2025
Those rumors were quelled a bit when Smith was traded for, but Las Vegas might still be making a play to land the star quarterback prospect.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
The mind games that are typically part of every Miami game were quelled by Vancouver’s fearless play.
—Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quell
Verb
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Nichols fled after being pulled from his car and was later subdued and struck repeatedly with fists, boots, a Taser and a baton.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2025
-
Hundreds of Ghor are killed, stormtroopers patrol the streets, and KX-series security droids are unleashed like hulking monsters, subduing random humans to death.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Vulture,
7 May 2025
Verb
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One day at the Scottish Open, a volunteer held up the quiet sign and shushed the crowd as Morikawa prepared to hit from the fairway.—
Brody Miller,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
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Fathers shushed babbling toddlers as their wives snuck out to change infants’ diapers.—
Carlos Nogueras Ramos,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But its assertions are characteristic of the Trump administration’s systemic denial of trans lives, and signal further movement by HHS toward policies that seek to suppress trans identities among young people.—
Samantha Riedel,
Them.,
1 May 2025
-
The Empire started mining the planet for energy and suppressing the Ghormans, so the upstart rebels attack a transport ship full of supplies.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
1 May 2025
Verb
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In the past, survivors have been silenced or discouraged by a system that often sided with abusers.—
Ali Martin,
Christian Science Monitor,
29 Apr. 2025
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Trump, through his onslaught of executive orders, wants to see the adversaries silenced.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Therefore, he's been repressing his darker instincts.—
Anne Easton,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
-
The fungus is repressed by the acidic layer at the soil’s surface.—
Neil Sperry,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The title nears the summit once again on both the Top Rock Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums rosters, settling at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
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This Summer By Daisy Jones Shopping The Best Nontoxic Sunscreens, According to Dermatologists By Jenny Berg Born in Kampala and raised for a time in Cape Town, Mamdani later settled with Nair and his father, academic and writer Mahmood Mamdani, in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of New York.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
4 May 2025
Verb
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The deal aims to quash the primary source of contention, the appointment of bishops, which is a modern-day form of the Medieval Investiture controversy.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Apr. 2025
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Conservatives swiftly lambasted Boasberg’s opinion and suggested the Department of Justice should quash it.—
David Catanese,
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Switching between phone and laptop is smooth with multipoint Bluetooth, and ANC hushes office hum without hammering battery life.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
25 Apr. 2025
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Administration, hushed though the tones might have been, wasn’t an unrealistic possibility.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quell. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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