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
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
Nix quelled doubt from a rocky start with a 295-yard game in that Kansas City win, and detonated for four touchdowns against the Packers three weeks later.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2026
Iran claimed to have quelled demonstrations that have lasted more than two weeks and are feared to have left hundreds dead, even easing its telecoms blackout, though an internet shutdown persisted.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026
But Trump’s usual tactics haven’t quelled GOP dissent.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
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
Nix quelled doubt from a rocky start with a 295-yard game in that Kansas City win, and detonated for four touchdowns against the Packers three weeks later.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2026
Iran claimed to have quelled demonstrations that have lasted more than two weeks and are feared to have left hundreds dead, even easing its telecoms blackout, though an internet shutdown persisted.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026
But Trump’s usual tactics haven’t quelled GOP dissent.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quelled
Verb
-
When emotion is suppressed, organizations lose access to these signals.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
As loyalty and conformity often disguised as anticommunism suppressed the fervency for civil rights that punctuated the war years, Du Bois’s conflict increased in intensity for a Black America expecting an improved quality of life in peacetime.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 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
-
The build has felt oddly subdued for much of the month, largely because the focus shifted toward promoting the quarterly Peacock special instead.—
Rob Wolkenbrod,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
All this, while equity indexes have held near record highs, corporate-debt spreads are subdued and bond-market volatility remains sleepy.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Best Actress in a Drama winner delivered a charmingly unbothered acceptance speech, while Hamnet’s Best Drama victory quieted comparisons to Renée Zellweger’s Judy season.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
-
For now, the Pretendian hunts have quieted a little, the hunters having lost credibility because of their overzealousness, and the country having grown weary of identity politics.—
David Treuer,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Add 1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rings, and 8 garlic cloves, crushed, and cook, stirring often, until softened and light golden around the edges, 3–4 minutes.—
Chris Morocco,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Some sat remarkably untouched, but most were damaged beyond repair — crushed by falling beams, burned to a shell, and covered in toxic dust.—
Marah Eakin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But legislators should recognize that these needs can’t be silenced through negligence and deprivation.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Directors, actors, writers and musicians have been jailed, exiled or silenced simply for telling their stories or advocating for freedom.—
Maryam Lieberman,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The state ultimately repressed this uprising, but also loosened some of its rules.—
Nahid Siamdoust,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 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
-
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 29 Jan. 2026.
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