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
Sales of the iPhone have also been instrumental in quelling Wall Street’s concerns about where the company stands in the AI race.
—
Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
Some of Altman’s and OpenAI’s social media push over the weekend seemed aimed at quelling concerns among the company’s own employees over the Pentagon contract.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
Deadly childhood disease after deadly childhood disease quelled by vaccines.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 2 Mar. 2026
In return, those Revolutionary Guard commanders became Khamenei’s loyal inner circle, helping quell domestic unrest and exporting the Islamic Republic’s revolutionary ideology across the region, in Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq and Yemen.
—Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quell
Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
Some of Altman’s and OpenAI’s social media push over the weekend seemed aimed at quelling concerns among the company’s own employees over the Pentagon contract.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
Deadly childhood disease after deadly childhood disease quelled by vaccines.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 2 Mar. 2026
In return, those Revolutionary Guard commanders became Khamenei’s loyal inner circle, helping quell domestic unrest and exporting the Islamic Republic’s revolutionary ideology across the region, in Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq and Yemen.
—Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quell
Verb
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Even so, the reaction of the market has been relatively subdued, said David Butter, an energy expert on the Middle East at the Chatham House think tank.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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Video from the scene shows a security detail member being taken to the ground as officers worked to subdue the suspects.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some shushed the crowds, urging them to be silent and reverent.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Levy sat on the floor, watching like a proud father and shushing whisperers.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bondi wants to suppress, or at least stall, state Bar investigations against them.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
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Which stories persist, which fade and which are actively suppressed are decisions increasingly made by private companies rather than public institutions.—
Arnaud Kurze,
The Conversation,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Defiance then silence The Iranian women’s team has been contesting the Women’s Asian Cup in Australia during a week of turmoil for their country as the conflict with the US and Israel escalates to take in neighboring countries.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
9 Mar. 2026
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Instead of silencing the public and turning them away, Democrats should stay and do the job they were elected to do.—
Kaitlin McCallum,
Hartford Courant,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In situations of more extreme mental health issues, teens may not have the tools to navigate difficult feelings and instead, repress and compartmentalize their feelings as a way to cope.—
Staff Author,
Parents,
9 Mar. 2026
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There’s an inherent troublemaking nature to him that can’t be repressed by the big Disney musical.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When that piece settles, Annacone believes the ceiling could be extremely high.—
Douglas Robson,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Hopes for any stability and settling out, however, have been quickly shaken.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Last week, Lai won an appeal to quash his convictions and sentence in a separate fraud case, a rare victory in his legal battles.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Ethnic insurgencies may present the most realistic internal threat to the Iranian regime, which has quashed civil society and pro-democracy protest movements for years.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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All was hushed and stonily still, like the moon and its lights and shadows.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
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Inside, the rooms were intimate, jammed, dim, and hushed.—
Nicole Krauss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quell. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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