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
If Quebec’s French-Canadian separatist movement and various referenda were ultimately quelled by Canada recognizing that culturally and linguistically unique province as a nation within Canada, then Alberta is headed for a similar result, at best.
—
Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2026
Haitian immigrants in limbo A federal court ruling to maintain the temporary legal status of Haitian immigrants has not quelled fears for thousands of people in the community.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
The real set-piece quiz With his third win in as many games, Michael Carrick’s excellent start to life has quickly quelled any lingering doubts over the dismissal of his predecessor, Ruben Amorim, last month.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Brannon Martinsen complimented him with 16 points that included a couple of timely shots that quelled any momentum Harvard-Westlake was trying to build.
—Dan Lovi, Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
Ultimately, any hard feelings about how the Blue Jays’ offseason panned out could be quelled by another successful World Series run next season.
—Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Pahlavi’s statement signals the protests are far from over, even as the regime’s mass killing of its own citizens seemingly quelled the country-wide demonstrations.
—Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 19 Jan. 2026
Those talks, though, appear to have quelled following the Giants’ additions of Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
The protests seem possibly to have been quelled in much of the country.
—ABC News, 18 Jan. 2026
Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2026
Haitian immigrants in limbo A federal court ruling to maintain the temporary legal status of Haitian immigrants has not quelled fears for thousands of people in the community.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
The real set-piece quiz With his third win in as many games, Michael Carrick’s excellent start to life has quickly quelled any lingering doubts over the dismissal of his predecessor, Ruben Amorim, last month.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Brannon Martinsen complimented him with 16 points that included a couple of timely shots that quelled any momentum Harvard-Westlake was trying to build.
—Dan Lovi, Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
Ultimately, any hard feelings about how the Blue Jays’ offseason panned out could be quelled by another successful World Series run next season.
—Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Pahlavi’s statement signals the protests are far from over, even as the regime’s mass killing of its own citizens seemingly quelled the country-wide demonstrations.
—Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 19 Jan. 2026
Those talks, though, appear to have quelled following the Giants’ additions of Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
The protests seem possibly to have been quelled in much of the country.
—ABC News, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quelled
Verb
-
Ukraine's air force said Russia launched two missiles and 183 drones into the country overnight, of which 156 drones were shot down or suppressed.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Congress was sidelined, independent media was suppressed, and opponents were detained, all under a veneer of legal authority.—
Alejandro Reyes,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
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
-
Few churchgoers were willing to speak publicly afterward and the atmosphere was subdued.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Joe Brusuelas, senior economist at RSM US, highlighted a few of those factors when pushing back on White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett’s claim Monday that subdued job gains are primarily the result of lower population figures and higher productivity.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Arrange a tender ceremony After the explosion of color and dancing that was the mehndi, the couple quieted things down for their wedding ceremony, which was purposefully and carefully organized not to be tied to any one religion or culture.—
Kaitlin Menza,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Those rumors have largely quieted, however, as the Tigers loaded up for a third consecutive playoff berth.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Olympic figure skater Ilia Malinin refuses to be crushed beneath the pressure.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Internet shutdowns, mass arrests, intimidation through mourning and fear have crushed public mobilization — while negotiations with powerful states restore the regime’s standing on the global stage.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But Brunson quickly silenced the doubters.—
Tom Kludt,
Vanity Fair,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Whistled from the start of his Marseille career, Tudor silenced the sceptics in an atmosphere far more hostile than the one awaiting him in north London.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The parts of me that had been repressed for so long all came a bit too much to a head.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The outlet noted that activists and independent journalists have said that reports of military losses have been repressed in Russian media.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Suddenly, the noise in their home stilled.—
Ryan Oehrli
Updated February 6,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Feb. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Quelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quelled. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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