as in to quell
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
the dictator commanded the army to quash the uprising without mercy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to abolish
to put an end to by formal action
attorneys asked the court to quash the indictment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of quash
Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 9 May 2026
The vote, dominated by the African National Congress party’s majority at the time, quashed the independent panel report, which found evidence that Ramaphosa may have violated the constitution.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 8 May 2026
Federal and local lawmakers in Puerto Rico, as well as civil rights and advocacy organizations, have called for investigations after ProPublica reported how a federal probe into a drugs-for-votes scheme in Puerto Rico prisons got quashed after the 2024 elections.
—Raquel Rutledge, ProPublica, 8 May 2026
Sadly, that report was quashed.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for quash
Verb
The pursuit of knowledge can be quashed, but the public funds have to go somewhere.
—Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 9 May 2026
The vote, dominated by the African National Congress party’s majority at the time, quashed the independent panel report, which found evidence that Ramaphosa may have violated the constitution.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 8 May 2026
Federal and local lawmakers in Puerto Rico, as well as civil rights and advocacy organizations, have called for investigations after ProPublica reported how a federal probe into a drugs-for-votes scheme in Puerto Rico prisons got quashed after the 2024 elections.
—Raquel Rutledge, ProPublica, 8 May 2026
Sadly, that report was quashed.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for quash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quash
Verb
-
Critics worry that the buffer zones could be used to quell nonviolent demonstrations or criminalize free speech.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
-
While the emergency response quelled the threat of a violent explosion as of Monday night, 16,000 residents, largely from the city of Stanton, were still unable to return home until all evacuation orders were lifted Tuesday evening.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
And actually one of his first public acts after signing the Constitution was to petition Congress to abolish slavery.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
-
Avila Chevalier’s campaign priorities also include abolishing ICE, adding affordable housing and securing federal funds to repair the city’s public housing.—
Joseph Strauss,
Sun Sentinel,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Economists have cautioned that the US-Israeli war with Iran and the related oil and supply shock could suppress hiring activity in the United States.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
-
His puck-moving play was completely suppressed in the offensive zone, too.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
To prevent a top-two shutout in the future, Democratic political operative Steve Maviglio earlier this month filed the initial paperwork for an initiative on the 2028 ballot to repeal top-two.—
John Seiler,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
-
Colorado was the first of eight states to repeal its penal exception clause.—
Julia Bowling,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
His entourage subdued Sirhan as a teenage busboy cradled the injured Kennedy.—
Sophia Zhang,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 May 2026
-
The employees subdued Scott in the parking lot and held him down until police arrived.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Italian authorities have canceled upcoming concerts by Kanye West and Travis Scott that had been scheduled to take place in July in the northern city of Reggio Emilia, citing security concerns.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
31 May 2026
-
When a user cancels a promotional subscription, the system flags the promo as redeemed, and it can’t be reinstated, even by Google’s support staff.—
Paul Monckton,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
DeGette has been the prime sponsor on eight unsuccessful bills related to stem cell research but was able to work with Obama on his executive order to overturn restrictions on stem cell research in 2009.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
That order was recently overturned.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
This victory was as undeniable as the bond between the seniors on this team who did everything but draw up a pact to avoid a third-straight disappointment on the season’s final day.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
Safe food handling, good hygiene and avoiding contact with cat stool can significantly reduce your risk.—
Dr. Megan Yanny,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quash. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
