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
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 development came after the judge ruled in May that evidence found during an initial search of Mangione's backpack must be suppressed, including a magazine, cell phone, passport and wallet.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
The charge, involving the magazine that was suppressed by the court, was formally dismissed Wednesday.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
As the moment unfolded, Savannah shushed the future king and even briefly placed her hand over his mouth in an effort to keep him composed.—
Staff Author,
InStyle,
13 June 2026
-
The Giants offense got shushed Wednesday night by Shohei Ohtani, and their hitters went down almost as quietly against right-hander Emmet Sheehan.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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
-
The drums in the far corner kept playing but the vibe rightfully quieted.—
David Close,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
-
His fears about losing followers after revealing his identity were quickly quieted by an outpouring of support.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 June 2026
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
-
Following anti-government protests in 2019, Beijing imposed a national security law that has virtually silenced all dissent.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
-
His all-time performance silenced those critics.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
His arrest came during a years-long crackdown on civil society and dissent, which began following mass protests in 2018 that the government violently repressed.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
His arrest came during a yearslong crackdown on civil society and dissent, which began following mass protests in 2018 that the government violently repressed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 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 20 Jun. 2026.
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