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
His last-minute decision to increase payouts, announced two days before the congress, quelled a larger revolt.
—
Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026
But that has not quelled the far-right’s violence.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
Observers of prediction markets widely agree that insider trading worries on the platforms have to be quelled to gain institutional attention.
—Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 1 June 2026
While the emergency response quelled the threat of a violent explosion as of Monday night, 16,000 residents, largely from the city of Stanton, were still unable to return home until all evacuation orders were lifted Tuesday evening.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Intense protests related to economic issues broke out in Iran in early 2026, but were harshly quelled.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 18 May 2026
Abreu quelled the inning, however, striking out Dylan Beavers and Coby Mayo swinging at sliders.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 30 Apr. 2026
Anxiety quelled, the party starts back up, with Bambaataa spinning a record by James Brown.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
What could not be as easily quelled were the puns.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026
But that has not quelled the far-right’s violence.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
Observers of prediction markets widely agree that insider trading worries on the platforms have to be quelled to gain institutional attention.
—Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 1 June 2026
While the emergency response quelled the threat of a violent explosion as of Monday night, 16,000 residents, largely from the city of Stanton, were still unable to return home until all evacuation orders were lifted Tuesday evening.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Intense protests related to economic issues broke out in Iran in early 2026, but were harshly quelled.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 18 May 2026
Abreu quelled the inning, however, striking out Dylan Beavers and Coby Mayo swinging at sliders.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 30 Apr. 2026
Anxiety quelled, the party starts back up, with Bambaataa spinning a record by James Brown.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
What could not be as easily quelled were the puns.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quelled
Verb
-
The couple is seeking $25 million in damages, claiming that because their team didn’t have the documents suppressed, they were convicted on every count.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
Others, like Tiara Parker, suppressed their grief and trauma until the weight of it all finally brought them tumbling to their knees.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Some shushed the crowds, urging them to be silent and reverent.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Just before, O’Hare shushed someone for clapping.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Despite the scale of the tournament, investor expectations have been relatively subdued due to the macro backdrop, geopolitical uncertainty and growing concerns about the dwindling consumer demand, JPMorgan strategists wrote.—
Deena Zaidi,
CNBC,
14 June 2026
-
Seleção supporters expected the flowing, entertaining play of Pelé’s era and were subdued before Vinícius evened the score with his spectacular angled effort.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Redemptions quieted, and the industry resumed its growth.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
10 Dec. 2025
-
After a multi-billion dollar settlement from BP and regulatory reform, the nationwide outcry over industry recklessness quieted to a murmur.—
Kylie Williams,
Miami Herald,
29 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
From there, the material is crushed, screened, and stripped of impurities.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
-
That led to them getting crushed by the Eagles 55-23 in a game that was never close.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
But the Spurs have silenced the crowd so far.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
-
With the light nearly gone — the UMass Dartmouth field doesn’t have lights — Callahan silenced the Raiders bats one more time and this eventually led to the decision to pause the game.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Either way, something is repressed in Eleanor that is not with Theodora.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
-
Tensions spiked in 2016 when the government attempted to impose French in English-speaking regions’ schools and courts, igniting protests that security forces violently repressed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
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
-
An intense defensive matchup in the boys' semifinals round ended in another sudden-death round that stilled the entire crowd while sending LA's Terron Williams to the finals.—
Devin Robertson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quelled. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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