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
Relevance
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
The large police presence, with a handful of riot vans positioned between the protestors and the stadium entrance, quelled any threat of violence until a small flashpoint close to half-time — tear gas was briefly used to disperse activists who attempted to break through police barricades.
—
Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
That argument hasn’t quelled internal frustration.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
For decades, DeLodder said, hospitals have quelled the establishment of freestanding birthing centers by arguing against their necessity.
—Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Offered a chance to explain any reluctance to stay in the NBA, the Lithuanian center once again quelled the topic.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
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
Five people died and 140 police officers were injured before the insurrection was quelled.
—Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
That argument hasn’t quelled internal frustration.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
For decades, DeLodder said, hospitals have quelled the establishment of freestanding birthing centers by arguing against their necessity.
—Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Offered a chance to explain any reluctance to stay in the NBA, the Lithuanian center once again quelled the topic.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
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
Five people died and 140 police officers were injured before the insurrection was quelled.
—Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quelled
Verb
-
The Onondagas support plans announced by the mayor of Syracuse in 2020 to remove the statue of Columbus, an Italian explorer who helped the Spanish establish a colonial foothold in the Caribbean and later suppressed revolts by Indigenous people.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The defense also argued that evidence recovered from the backpack Mangione was carrying when he was arrested at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s should be suppressed.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
11 Oct. 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
-
Their taste can be subdued by pairing them with ingredients like herbs and lemon juice, and they can be used in place of almost any fish.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Sure, there's a definite shift of styles between the grim, cramped jail cell and a lavish Hollywood musical, but the latter seems almost subdued.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
At first, the army did bring order to the streets and quieted public protests.—
Time,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
-
In Game 1, starter Freddy Peralta quieted Chicago’s lineup while his teammates scored nine runs without hitting the ball over the fence.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
We were crushed, humiliated, and broken, after our city was destroyed, occupied and erased from existence.—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The Capitals crushed Lohrei on a couple of hits in the B’s 3-1 win over the Caps on Wednesday.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Field hockey In the Middlesex league, Ava Anderson, Aisling Brennock, Sophia Setouhi and Kaylee Master each scored a goal while Natalia Keuchkarian got the shutout as Watertown silenced Arlington 4-0.—
Kristina Banahan,
Boston Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
-
While journalists are silenced at the Pentagon.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 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
-
After two years, the brutal war that started with Hamas' seizure of hostages and led to Israel's bombardment of Gaza was stilled.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Quelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quelled. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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