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
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Recent Examples of quelling
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
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
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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
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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
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Booing begins, and then shushing, and then booing again.—
Matthew Shen Goodman,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Defensively, Matt Roy, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Martin Fehervary all excel at suppressing chances, complementing the team’s two star defenders well.—
The Athletic NHL,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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China has manipulated the market by suppressing prices to drive Western competition from the market, said Ryan Castilloux, founder of Adamas Intelligence, a critical mineral market research firm.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
-
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
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Daniel Morejón García, a former Ministry of Interior agent accused of repressing July 11 protesters in 2021 was deported to Cuba in July.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Or unintentionally silencing voices and limiting possibilities?—
Rick Burton,
Sportico.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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In a prerecorded message, Lee said silencing a voice cannot silence an idea and urged attendees to carry on Kirk’s mission.—
Alex J. Rouhandeh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Apparently, Grier forgot his own words, because the lines that the Dolphins have built are collectively their worst this decade, something evident in a crushing 27-24 loss to Carolina, a game in which Miami blew a 17-0 lead.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
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The Age of Innocence actress recounted meeting De Palma and the casting director and crushing her first audition for the movie.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And Democrats will remain the side fond of muting dissent.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
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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 8 Oct. 2025.
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