1
as in suppressed
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shushed
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quelled
Bunnie Xo quelled online chatter surrounding her husband's 200-pound weight loss in a TikTok clip shared Saturday.
—
Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2025
Just as the geographical Palestinian homeland must be seized by Zionist forces, all resistance quelled and all Indigenous Palestinians ultimately expelled and silenced forever, so too must any and all electronic trace of support for Palestinian freedom be expunged from the database.
—Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
But, this being Brady, all of that context hasn’t quelled debate.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 21 Sep. 2025
A week ago, the playoffs looked more than likely for the Rapids after a late winner against Houston, but this result and others around the West have quelled those hopes and will make for a nervous final three games of the season.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
Five people died and 140 police officers were injured before the insurrection was quelled.
—Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
Still, this hasn't quelled the anxieties of anyone with a professional or layman's interest in space science.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
The excitement following a superb victory at Manchester City was quelled somewhat by a home defeat to Bournemouth, but optimism endures that Frank’s side can clinch a top-five spot.
—Jack Bantock, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
At the time, the performance quelled some concerns that Billy Ray was on the outs with his daughters — something Miley also cleared up in a May statement.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 21 Aug. 2025
Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2025
Just as the geographical Palestinian homeland must be seized by Zionist forces, all resistance quelled and all Indigenous Palestinians ultimately expelled and silenced forever, so too must any and all electronic trace of support for Palestinian freedom be expunged from the database.
—Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
But, this being Brady, all of that context hasn’t quelled debate.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 21 Sep. 2025
A week ago, the playoffs looked more than likely for the Rapids after a late winner against Houston, but this result and others around the West have quelled those hopes and will make for a nervous final three games of the season.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
Five people died and 140 police officers were injured before the insurrection was quelled.
—Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
Still, this hasn't quelled the anxieties of anyone with a professional or layman's interest in space science.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
The excitement following a superb victory at Manchester City was quelled somewhat by a home defeat to Bournemouth, but optimism endures that Frank’s side can clinch a top-five spot.
—Jack Bantock, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
At the time, the performance quelled some concerns that Billy Ray was on the outs with his daughters — something Miley also cleared up in a May statement.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quelled
Verb
-
Defenders downed or suppressed 566 drones and 45 missiles, the air force said.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Advertisement Amazon still faces another lawsuit brought by the FTC in 2023, which alleged that the company is an exploitative monopoly and illegally suppressed competition among online marketplaces.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Jena asked, for which she was shushed), that was spotted and strong enough to kill a man.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Another finding is that risk appetite is understandably subdued.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Under normal circumstances, equalising in the 89th minute of an away game in the Champions League would prompt wild celebrations, but Tottenham Hotspur’s players and coaching staff were subdued after their 2-2 draw with Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday evening.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
While the controversy had far from quieted by airtime, Kimmel had his parents in the audience to cheer him on.—
Sean Mandell,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The victory featured a standout effort from quarterback Caleb Williams, who may have quieted his critics for at least a week.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
So my soul was a little bit crushed to be the one to have to evict her — someone who's kept me safe literally time and time again.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Sep. 2025
-
After a few months, the government crushed the protests.—
Caroline Mimbs Nyce,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But our industry — and artists around the world — have a long history of refusing to be silenced, even in the darkest times.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Oct. 2025
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But our industry—and artists around the world—have a long history of refusing to be silenced, even in the darkest times.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This Committee was initially created during the McCarthy Era, a dark time when the federal government repressed and persecuted American citizens for their political beliefs.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
-
There are so many things that are being repressed here, and when Vivian brings them up her mother reacts poorly.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The service lasted more than five hours, but the moment that stilled the crowd came when his widow, Erika, spoke of her husband’s killer in the language of absolution.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Some of The Subjects were named, which stilled the others.—
Leila Chatti
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quelled. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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