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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of quelling
The mosquitoes came out in droves at night, just before bed, quelling our ambitions of stargazing or watching for the northern lights.
—
John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2026
Owens, who tried to reach third, was gunned down by left fielder Brendan Brock, quelling the early threat.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 June 2026
Also quelling demand is China’s pivot toward producing chemicals from raw materials like coal instead of oil, according to analysts.
—Devika Krishna Kumar, Fortune, 6 June 2026
Centered on Zhong Kui, the iconic demon-quelling deity of Chinese folklore, the family-friendly adventure follows a young human girl named Chujiu who accidentally enters the underworld.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 June 2026
And then there’s a man falling from a building, smoke bombs, and an army quelling protesters.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2026
After Congress passed a law lifting restrictions on the army’s role in quelling civil unrest late Tuesday, Paz now has the constitutional authority to invoke this power.
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
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
John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2026
Owens, who tried to reach third, was gunned down by left fielder Brendan Brock, quelling the early threat.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 June 2026
Also quelling demand is China’s pivot toward producing chemicals from raw materials like coal instead of oil, according to analysts.
—Devika Krishna Kumar, Fortune, 6 June 2026
Centered on Zhong Kui, the iconic demon-quelling deity of Chinese folklore, the family-friendly adventure follows a young human girl named Chujiu who accidentally enters the underworld.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 June 2026
And then there’s a man falling from a building, smoke bombs, and an army quelling protesters.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2026
After Congress passed a law lifting restrictions on the army’s role in quelling civil unrest late Tuesday, Paz now has the constitutional authority to invoke this power.
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quelling
Verb
-
Officers then shot her with a Taser, subduing her enough to take her into custody, police said.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
Trump thought the Secret Service did an excellent job subduing the gunman but the White House is reviewing security for major events for the country's 250th anniversary.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The snow was shushing off the roof of the garage and down on the driveway.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
3 Dec. 2025
-
After tackling a lesbian Christmas rom-com, as well as bringing Tegan and Sara’s childhood to screen, shushing a shouting lesbian would be a walk in the park.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them,
3 July 2025
Verb
-
The older upper-room technology has been around since the 1930s and was effective at suppressing even measles transmission in classrooms.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Dec. 2025
-
But President Patrice Talon has faced accusations of suppressing criticism.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The backcourt duo combined to shoot seven of 11 from beyond the arc, quieting Halton’s crowd early and often.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Nov. 2025
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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
Verb
-
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
-
Sunny, for example, feels solidarity with his working-class immigrant neighbors in Queens while repressing the fact that his family funded his education with black money.—
Sanjena Sathian,
Vulture,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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These practices reveal a government intent not only on silencing words but on erasing belief itself.—
Oscar Biscet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2025
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But as the game wound down to the final minutes of regulation, Mobley drilled a monster 3, silencing the Miami home crowd with less than two minutes in regulation.—
Mirin Fader,
New York Times,
19 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Inland Empire cities in the path of the notorious San Andreas fault haven’t ordered the retrofit or demolition of old brick buildings, which could rain debris capable of crushing pedestrians, cars and buses with deadly force onto sidewalks and streets during shaking.—
Shelby Grad,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
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To Palczewski, the wait from the crushing end of Denver’s 2025 season to hearing a deal was on the table felt long enough.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
10 June 2026
Verb
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But the field has struggled to figure out a means of delivering RNA-muting molecules into organs and tissues beyond the liver, which has limited their reach.—
Elaine Chen,
STAT,
9 June 2026
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Historians have written about how the widespread fear and conformity of these periods reshaped American society in enduring ways, including the destruction of progressive political movements and both delaying and muting the Civil Rights Movement itself.—
Bruce Schneier,
The Conversation,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quelling. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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