Synonyms of quelled

quelled

verb

past tense of quell

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

• suppressed
• subdued
• crushed
• repressed
• quashed
• silenced
• extinguished
• stifled
• destroyed
• squashed
• overcame
• squelched
• sat on
• demolished
• quenched
• slapped down
• throttled
• snuffed (out)
• clamped down (on)
• cracked down (on)
• put down
• conquered
• obliterated
• dominated
• doused
• smothered
• ruined
• strangled
• decimated
• wrecked
• vanquished
• overwhelmed
• annihilated
• exterminated
• smashed
• put out
• wasted
• subjugated
• wiped out
• devastated
• overpowered
• desolated
• nuked
• rubbed out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• helped
• aided
• supported
• assisted
• backed
• stirred
• provoked
• instigated
• abetted
• encouraged
• incited
• propped up
• whipped (up)
• forwarded
• promoted
• cultivated
• fostered
• fomented
• furthered
• advanced
• nurtured
• nourished

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

• shushed
• quieted
• silenced
• stilled
• muted
• hushed
• settled
• extinguished
• squelched
• quietened
• shut up
• dumbed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• stirred
• agitated

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of quelled

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever may have had their WNBA championship dreams quelled Thursday, but the star’s Nike Caitlin 1 signature sneaker story is just getting underway. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2026

At the very least, a loss would have quelled any desire to inflict further consequences on Michigan. — Austin Meek, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

There were angels, of course, and superheroes — men and women who gave or endangered their lives to aid and/or rescue others and those who quelled the natural instinct to panic and managed to simply survive. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Indeed, economic grievances prompted days of nationwide demonstrations in January – quelled only when security forces killed at least 7,000 people, and perhaps thousands more. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026

Bradman was the top run scorer for Australia but had only one century in the series, suggesting his threat had been quelled. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026

Reading it immediately quells, or at least quelled my own, paranoia at being alone in the middle of the forest—nobody is getting got here, there’s a gate that only opens if the concierge approves of your face, voice, and name. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026

Meanwhile, officials have quelled concerns about nearby nuclear power stations. — Tiago Ventura, Time, 30 July 2026

As the activist Assata Olugbala Shakur remarks, the chains of oppression can be broken with love, support, and care, and the Black radical imagination cannot be quelled even when our lives are on the line. — Literary Hub, 27 July 2026