1
as in subduing
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 shushing
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quelling
Phillies starters Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo did an excellent job quelling Ohtani in the NLDS, keeping him 0-for-6 with four strikeouts.
—
Andy McCullough, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Rather than quelling terrorist attacks, permanently suppressing Palestinian aspirations would likely fuel an endless insurgency.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
Giddey also took a significant step toward quelling concerns about him as a shooter.
—Bobby Krivitsky, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
The Dalai Lama has been the key figure quelling violence when grassroots dissatisfaction has escalated into episodic uprisings in Tibet.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
The Interior Ministry report explicitly suggested the recognition of a Palestinian state as a means of quelling Islamic unrest, according to a translation from the Center for Security Policy.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2025
The system is expected to hook around a large plume of African dust that has been quelling hurricane development for the past several weeks, Fox Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross wrote on his blog, Hurricane Intel.
—David Schutz, Sun Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2025
Andy McCullough, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Rather than quelling terrorist attacks, permanently suppressing Palestinian aspirations would likely fuel an endless insurgency.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
Giddey also took a significant step toward quelling concerns about him as a shooter.
—Bobby Krivitsky, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
The Dalai Lama has been the key figure quelling violence when grassroots dissatisfaction has escalated into episodic uprisings in Tibet.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
The Interior Ministry report explicitly suggested the recognition of a Palestinian state as a means of quelling Islamic unrest, according to a translation from the Center for Security Policy.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2025
The system is expected to hook around a large plume of African dust that has been quelling hurricane development for the past several weeks, Fox Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross wrote on his blog, Hurricane Intel.
—David Schutz, Sun Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quelling
Verb
-
The Giants won in all kinds of encouraging ways while subduing the wild-card-leading Cubs in a 5-2 victory Tuesday night.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
-
The two also showed a demonstration of what a K9 takedown looks like, with Humphries acting as a target and K9 Bob subduing him.—
Richard Requena,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In the clip, the then-6-year-old can be seen walking with his iPad to the next room and shushing everyone.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Booing begins, and then shushing, and then booing again.—
Matthew Shen Goodman,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Ginger contains compounds called polysaccharides that have natural anti-tussive (cough-suppressing) properties.—
Lauren O'Connor,
Health,
21 Oct. 2025
-
With rising prices suppressing demand, Cohen said many businesses will choose to slash orders in the upcoming holiday season, triggering layoffs and accelerating economic slowdown.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Tresemmé Lamellar Gloss Finishing Oil is what stands between you and shampoo-ad levels of shine, locking in luster and quieting frizz with its mix of sunflower, coconut, and macadamia oils.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Nine of those points came in a 16-0 third quarter run that turned a seven-point deficit into a 61-52 lead heading to the fourth, quieting the packed house in San Francisco’s Chase Center.—
Mike Cook,
Twin Cities,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This week is pushing you to speak up and stop repressing your truth.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Critics, though, have argued that these efforts are serving to distract from the country’s record of repressing free speech and dissent, as well as human rights violations, which have been widely reported.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
By silencing artists and historians, a regime seeks to control not just the present, but the past and the future as well.—
Andrew Weinstein,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The Los Angeles Dodgers, after silencing the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-1, Tuesday night in front of a subdued crowd at American Family Field, are putting on one of the most dominant pitching clinics in the league.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
How worried should the Commanders be right now after another Jayden Daniels injury and crushing losses to the Bears and Cowboys the last two weeks?—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The Mean Green would rattle off 37 unanswered points in the game’s final 21 minutes, crushing any hopes of a respectable scoreboard.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
And Democrats will remain the side fond of muting dissent.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Echo chambers can emerge, amplifying consensus while muting dissenting expertise.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quelling. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share