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
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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
Government forces brought reinforcements into Suqaylabiyah, quelling the violence.
—
Omar Albam, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
In December, the Mouse House pledged to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and entered a three-year licensing agreement for allowing over 200 Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars characters’ likenesses to be used in Sora, quelling some of the text-to-video app’s brushups with copyright law.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
Trump and Republicans last year aggressively ramped up policies favorable to fossil fuels after romping to an electoral victory in 2024 on a promise to lower the cost of living, including by quelling gas prices.
—Garrett Downs, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2026
Sales of the iPhone have also been instrumental in quelling Wall Street’s concerns about where the company stands in the AI race.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
Some of Altman’s and OpenAI’s social media push over the weekend seemed aimed at quelling concerns among the company’s own employees over the Pentagon contract.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
In a statement broadcast by state TV, a security force known for quelling unrest accused terrorists of targeting military and law enforcement bases over the past two nights.
—Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 10 Jan. 2026
This potency can be a good thing for quelling inflammation—but also calls for caution.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 9 Dec. 2025
Now, however, Marcos’ government faces one of its greatest challenges in quelling public outcry, and his rivals are using the furor against him.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 19 Nov. 2025
Omar Albam, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
In December, the Mouse House pledged to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and entered a three-year licensing agreement for allowing over 200 Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars characters’ likenesses to be used in Sora, quelling some of the text-to-video app’s brushups with copyright law.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
Trump and Republicans last year aggressively ramped up policies favorable to fossil fuels after romping to an electoral victory in 2024 on a promise to lower the cost of living, including by quelling gas prices.
—Garrett Downs, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2026
Sales of the iPhone have also been instrumental in quelling Wall Street’s concerns about where the company stands in the AI race.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
Some of Altman’s and OpenAI’s social media push over the weekend seemed aimed at quelling concerns among the company’s own employees over the Pentagon contract.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
In a statement broadcast by state TV, a security force known for quelling unrest accused terrorists of targeting military and law enforcement bases over the past two nights.
—Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 10 Jan. 2026
This potency can be a good thing for quelling inflammation—but also calls for caution.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 9 Dec. 2025
Now, however, Marcos’ government faces one of its greatest challenges in quelling public outcry, and his rivals are using the furor against him.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 19 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quelling
Verb
-
Mario himself is played mostly straight by Pratt, subduing the exaggerated Italian accent from the games, while retaining the underdog aspect of a blue collar guy burdened with greater purpose.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
-
There, the pioneers—practical, inventive, restless, exuberant white men—clashed with Indigenous peoples, subduing them and a wilderness filled with wild animals and abundant natural resources.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Levy sat on the floor, watching like a proud father and shushing whisperers.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Top sleep aid for kids This extremely popular sound machine uses an authentic human voice to calm babies to sleep with a calming, shushing sound.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Moss is low-maintenance, eco-friendly, and can thrive in various environments, benefiting gardens by controlling erosion and suppressing weeds.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Echinacea may interact with caffeine and immune-suppressing medications, though more research is needed to confirm this.—
Megan Nunn,
Verywell Health,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The alarms go off, the two get locked in the entry hall, and as Emma panics, Charlie rushes over to kiss her, quieting her fear.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Research has linked prolonged exposure to that level of ambient noise to elevated stress and anxiety, so by quieting that baseline sensory load, ANC creates the right environment for some calming music or a meditation app to do its job.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
People fed up with rolling blackouts have staged sporadic protests in recent days, banging pots and shouting slogans against the government, rare demonstrations in a country known for repressing dissent.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The White House imposed sanctions on Larijani in January for his role in repressing nationwide protests in the country, which saw thousands killed in the violent government crackdown, rights group say.—
Yarden Segev,
NBC news,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As war descended on Iran, the regime once again cut off internet and communications across the country, controlling its people and silencing their messages of resilience.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Instead of silencing the public and turning them away, Democrats should stay and do the job they were elected to do.—
Kaitlin McCallum,
Hartford Courant,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One rabid mongoose bite later, and Ben is a skull-crushing, face-ripping menace terrorizing Lucy and her friends.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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Black One and Monoliths & Dimensions maintain a slight distance from the listener with a layer of reverb that softens the bone-crushing power of the guitars.—
Daniel Bromfield,
Pitchfork,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This year’s hard freeze that melted most of our daffodils also took the edge off many of the Bradford pear blooms, muting the usual burst of white flowers across the landscape.—
Markis Hill,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
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So for anyone who’s struggling to create that distance, Jeter suggests starting small and committing to just one month of no direct communication—along with blocking or muting them online.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quelling. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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