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
Columbia and other prominent universities have come under scrutiny and had their funding cut by the Trump administration, which has accused them of not having done enough to quell last year's protests and to combat antisemitism.
—
Jonathan Dienst, NBC news, 8 May 2025
For several quarters, the video game publishers quelled concerns during about the strike’s impact on upcoming games by noting how far out most voiceover work is recorded and assuring shareholders their pipelines were long.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 5 May 2025
Druse militias responded in force, and the government sent security personnel to quell the unrest.
—Ephrat Livni, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The Trump administration has engaged in efforts to quell dissent in corporate America, the civil service, universities and the media.
—Katie Benner, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for quell
Jonathan Dienst, NBC news, 8 May 2025
For several quarters, the video game publishers quelled concerns during about the strike’s impact on upcoming games by noting how far out most voiceover work is recorded and assuring shareholders their pipelines were long.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 5 May 2025
Druse militias responded in force, and the government sent security personnel to quell the unrest.
—Ephrat Livni, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The Trump administration has engaged in efforts to quell dissent in corporate America, the civil service, universities and the media.
—Katie Benner, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for quell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quell
Verb
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Officers used a taser on the man to try to subdue him, according to Cleverdon.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
19 May 2025
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The most subdued of those was one of the most tempting: Hotel Wren in Twentynine Palms, which only opened in March, a 12-room, high-end retreat with muted colors, enormous rooms, custom furniture and poolside mountain views.—
Christopher Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Gert laughed, too, until the two of them were shushing each other quite loudly.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
3 May 2025
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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
Verb
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Orwell authored 1984, a bleak vision of the future where an authoritarian regime weaponizes language to suppress independent thought and rewrite history.—
Jason Snyder,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
-
However, consistent, long-term stress can wear down your immune system, exposing you to inflammation and suppressing your body's response to infections.2 UTIs occur when the urinary tract, including the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra, is infected.—
Brittany Dube,
Health,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Burke silenced the Royals early at Kauffman Stadium.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
7 May 2025
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Over time, this avoidance can silence even the most passionate voices.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
Verb
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Abscisic acid kick-starts a cascade of biochemical reactions that repress cell division and growth, while gibberellin has the opposite effect.—
Katarina Zimmer,
Smithsonian Magazine,
2 May 2025
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They can be removed, added and relocated to activate certain genes and repress others.—
Viviane Callier,
Quanta Magazine,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Have all the evidentiary issues been settled? Not entirely.—
Jorge L. Ortiz,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
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Paramount owner Shari Redstone wants to settle with Trump, The New York Times reported, citing unnamed sources.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Those hopes appear to have already been quashed, with Alpine second-bottom in the constructors’ standings with just seven points in six races.—
Dan Cancian,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
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Ninety-two years on, however, there are facets of the magazine that have unequivocally improved, and absurdities that have, thank heaven, been quashed.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
Verb
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Timbaland and Nachum often stand off to the side, speaking in emphatic but hushed whispers about new ideas that are coming to them in that moment.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
28 Apr. 2025
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Finally, go ahead and chop 35% off the Google Pixel Buds Pro wireless earbuds for filling commutes or jogs with bold bass, hushed background noise with ANC, and hands-free Google Assistant commands.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quell. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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