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
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
Redick shouted out Bronny James for his efforts against Indiana after the game, lauding his defensive intensity – often being switched onto Pacers All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, and holding his own – along with a late mid-range jumper that quelled concerns of a once-improbable Indiana comeback.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
The shooter killed an instructor and wounded two others before the ROTC cadets attacked him and quelled the threat, showing incredible bravery in the face of danger.
—Nicole Russell, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
Turns out their insatiable desire for drama and noise has yet to be quelled, which means their upcoming batch of concerts will be as entrancing as ever.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026
But Jimenez quelled that in the 76’ to break the scoreless tie.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Mar. 2026
Indigenous resistance in the Perth region was quelled in 1834 only after an intense and bloody confrontation known as the Pinjarra Massacre.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
And that kind of turned into a little thing, but that has all been dissipated and quelled.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
What could not be as easily quelled were the puns.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Redick shouted out Bronny James for his efforts against Indiana after the game, lauding his defensive intensity – often being switched onto Pacers All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, and holding his own – along with a late mid-range jumper that quelled concerns of a once-improbable Indiana comeback.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
The shooter killed an instructor and wounded two others before the ROTC cadets attacked him and quelled the threat, showing incredible bravery in the face of danger.
—Nicole Russell, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
Turns out their insatiable desire for drama and noise has yet to be quelled, which means their upcoming batch of concerts will be as entrancing as ever.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026
But Jimenez quelled that in the 76’ to break the scoreless tie.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Mar. 2026
Indigenous resistance in the Perth region was quelled in 1834 only after an intense and bloody confrontation known as the Pinjarra Massacre.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
And that kind of turned into a little thing, but that has all been dissipated and quelled.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quelled
Verb
-
Earlier, Britain suppressed a communist insurgency in Malaya, today part of Malaysia.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The lawyer noted the statement could be suppressed in court if it was obtained through leading questions, a prolonged interrogation, or coercive tactics.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To the point where Reid shushed him down at times.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Lyonne shushed the staffer, got up and headed to the bathroom, according to Page Six.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
How the suspect was subdued The shooting incident took place near the main magnetometer screening area at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, according to the Secret Service.—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The tone of both parties was subdued.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Now, even as the guns have temporarily quieted, the core conditions that led to the war remain unchanged — leaving negotiators to grapple with the same unresolved question at the heart of the conflict.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
While that quieted the noise for the timebeing back in late February, the process was just beginning for Aubrey ahead of free agency.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Additional details shared via Reuters claimed the worker’s lower limbs were crushed in the collapse.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Carlos Correa proved to be his toughest matchup of the day, as the Astros’ shortstop crushed a bases-empty blast off the southpaw in the sixth inning to tie the game at two.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Today, by the very people who claim to represent them, they were ignored, and even worse, silenced.—
Todd Richmond,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The series finale took nine innings to decide a winner, as Isa Torres was held to 1-for-5 with a walk, and Jaysoni Beachum was also silenced at the plate.—
Molly Keshin,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Even before the war began, hardship and inflation provoked nationwide protests that were brutally repressed.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Dispatches Evening Read Cubans’ Despair By Gisela Salim-Peyer Cubans for decades have been buffeted by great powers, repressed by their own government, crushed by economic crises, and paraded as the victims of a succession of sanctions imposed by the White House.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
My limbs stilled and grew heavy in the heat, but Alice jiggled her knees up and down, bursting out with short spurts of conversation that weighed against the beauty of our silence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Hostilities were temporarily stilled by a ceasefire, but fighting resumed in early December.—
John Vink,
The Dial,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quelled. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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