QUELL Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

quell

verb

ˈkwel

Definition of quell

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to shush

to stop the noise or speech of the principal held up her hand to quell the students so they could hear the urgent announcement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stir
agitate

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 quell Chipotle is beefing up its board, in a bid to reassure investors and quell concerns about potential activist scrutiny. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026 Yields have climbed despite efforts by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to quell concerns in the bond market. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026 There were angels, of course, and superheroes — men and women who gave or endangered their lives to aid and/or rescue others and those who quelled the natural instinct to panic and managed to simply survive. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 This is what all the tech companies need to do to quell political and community opposition. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for quell

Recent Examples of Synonyms for quell

Verb

The first officer unsuccessfully attempted to subdue Dzananovic four times with a stun gun during the arrest, police said.

— Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
Hogan added that the market could experience more trading days like this sporadically over the coming months if sentiment remains subdued amid tensions in the Middle East.

— Sean Conlon, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of subdue

Verb

Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim went to 3-0 for the week with a crowd-shushing rally from 2 down to a 2-and-1 victory over Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
His interactions with Daemon (Matt Smith) last season, going so far as to shush him at one point, were a breath of fresh air.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

Definition of shush

Verb

The system is designed to amplify speech while using machine learning to suppress background noise.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026
When the skin’s community of protective bacteria was suppressed with antibiotics, the frogs became more likely to develop signs of disease.

— Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of suppress

Verb

Becoming defensive or dismissive or trying to silence the conversation can turn a limited issue into a question of integrity.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Hannah Einbinder’s voice has not been silenced since her arrest for protesting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York City on Thursday.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of silence

Verb

The government accountability group then stepped in seeking to preserve the public’s right to challenge any motion to repress or expunge the report.

— Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
Rooted in opposition to the oppression and discrimination of women in Iran, the movement also seeks freedom for all Iranians systemically repressed by the Islamic government.

— Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of repress

Verb

Let enthusiasm show you what deserves more energy after the excitement settles.

— Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
The dinner capped a long, but friendly, day of meetings and celebrations, as the world’s two most powerful leaders seek to settle trade differences while simultaneously thawing the icy relationship between the United States and China.

— Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of settle

Verb

This new paper highlights a number of topics where scientists might best fill the vacuum created by the White House’s report-quashing actions.

— Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026
Merz quashed talk within the press and his own party about his possible resignation despite Sunday's losses for his party just two weeks after a crushing defeat in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

— Esme Nicholson, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of quash

Verb

The park has already taken some steps to hush their new attraction.

— Lynette Rice, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
His lead trial attorney, Edward Bilinkas, a dapper New Jersey man then nearing seventy, had the courtroom delivery of a schoolteacher trying to hush nonsense at the back of the class by raising his own voice.

— Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of hush

Browse Nearby Words

queers

quell

quelled

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Style

“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quell. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of quell

verb

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