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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quell
The Tiger defense quelled a red-hot Commodore offense for most of the game, and on the other side, Mizzou made a pair of trips to the red zone.
—
Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
But the National Guard's presence does not only symbolically quell protest.
—Colleen Hamilton, Them., 30 Oct. 2025
Trump has deployed the national guard to cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland and Memphis to quell protests against stricter immigration enforcement.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
First, hotter temperatures seem to quell the virus, and the weather is getting cooler.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quell
Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
But the National Guard's presence does not only symbolically quell protest.
—Colleen Hamilton, Them., 30 Oct. 2025
Trump has deployed the national guard to cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland and Memphis to quell protests against stricter immigration enforcement.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
First, hotter temperatures seem to quell the virus, and the weather is getting cooler.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quell
Verb
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Those trends have created a new equilibrium that are keeping a lid on unemployment even as hiring stays subdued.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
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Mike Vrabel’s celebration was subdued, one befitting of the way this game ended, a tougher, more stressful challenge than the five consecutive wins that preceded it.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In the clip, the then-6-year-old can be seen walking with his iPad to the next room and shushing everyone.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
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The View has a long history of guests receiving sustained standing ovations — and Goldberg attempting to shush rowdy audience members.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The weight-loss drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 drugs, or GLP-1s, suppress the appetite of users, leading to weight loss.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The experimental once-weekly drug, eloralintide, belongs to the class of drugs that mimic the pancreatic hormone amylin which slows digestion and suppresses hunger.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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These political executions are a callous attempt by the authorities to frighten and silence an increasingly restive population no longer willing to accept their corrupt and oppressive rule.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Service members such as Partezana were sworn to silence for 43 years following the tests — until the law mandating that silence was lifted in 1996 — and given little warning about the harmful physical side effects of nuclear fallout.—
Hope Hodge Seck,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Perceptive politicians understand that a rising opposition force that aims to replace the entire system has to be co-opted, not simply repressed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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This week is pushing you to speak up and stop repressing your truth.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hoover was much better in the second quarter and led TCU into the red zone, but the Horned Frogs had to settle for a 35-yard Nate McCashland field goal.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Nov. 2025
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Soika, a surgeon, unsuccessfully tried to book a rental car to get to Utah for a weekend trip before settling on an option that seemed straight out of Hollywood.—
JOSH FUNK,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Now the government is out to quash this plague of poor decision making.—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
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Under his order, Abrego Garcia must respond to the government’s motion to quash the Blanche subpoena by Wednesday, with a DOJ reply due by noon on Thursday.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The vibe is hushed and calming.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
13 Oct. 2025
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McIlroy would hush the USA crowd after putts, while Reed would bow to their applause.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quell. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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