1
as in to suppress
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
immediately squelched any signs of rebellion
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Recent Examples of squelch
Liam Inscoe-Jones, Pitchfork, 5 Mar. 2026
New Orleans remained comfortably in front from there, with Poole's virtually squelching any chance of a late Sixers comeback.
—CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
Nina MacLaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, 20 July 2023
Finally, an electronic squelch.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 1 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for squelch
Verb
Stylistically, the album feels of a piece with the work of post-Earl MCs like MIKE or Navy Blue, delivering meditations over electro-funk loops resplendent with squelching synths, twinkling keys, and Jimmy Jam drums.
—Liam Inscoe-Jones, Pitchfork, 5 Mar. 2026
New Orleans remained comfortably in front from there, with Poole's virtually squelching any chance of a late Sixers comeback.
—CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
Noun
Poems of ‘human residue’ in a new collection Joe Hall’s poems move between a fist-pounding urgency, the fire and squelch of this moment of our endtime, and a vulnerability hushed and gentle as a nightgown on a laundry line.
—Nina MacLaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, 20 July 2023
Finally, an electronic squelch.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 1 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for squelch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squelch
Verb
-
Although Nigeria was temporarily suspended from the Commonwealth group of nations, the oil industry continued its operations, and federal governments continued to misappropriate their share of the revenues and violently suppress protests.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
-
This structural scaling suppressed unwanted charge trapping and leakage currents, ensuring the chip remains electronically stable even under intense, high-dose gamma exposure.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some shushed the crowds, urging them to be silent and reverent.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Levy sat on the floor, watching like a proud father and shushing whisperers.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There were none of Trump’s customary wisecracks, no theatrical asides.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Barry Diller was full of wisecracks tonight at the PGA Awards.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Redick shouted out Bronny James for his efforts against Indiana after the game, lauding his defensive intensity – often being switched onto Pacers All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, and holding his own – along with a late mid-range jumper that quelled concerns of a once-improbable Indiana comeback.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
-
That change didn’t quell the concerns of some lawmakers in both parties, who questioned the wisdom of extending the hours for liquor sales on the grounds that doing so could increase the risk of drunk driving incidents.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The federal government’s ability to wreak havoc and attempt to silence our communities depends mightily on the machines running on our streets and in data centers.—
Jennifer Piper,
Denver Post,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The 21-year-old Hamano, on loan at Tottenham from Chelsea, scored in the 17th minute to almost silence the crowd of 74,397 at Sydney's Stadium Australia on Saturday night.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
If, by our standard, that is glaring plagiarism, the obvious retort is that the standard of the early seventeenth century was a very different beast.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
LeBron James didn’t hold back from his retorts over his late-in-the-game elbow injury Thursday night against the Denver Nuggets.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Iranians were also celebrating the Persian New Year, known as Nowruz, a normally festive holiday that is more subdued this year.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
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Officers Emilio Campos and Christopher Doble were involved in the shooting and were not seriously injured while attempting to subdue Figueroa, police said.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Throughout the theater, the colors are springlike and muted, pastels that are lightly bright and storybook-inspired.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The attacks came a day after Israeli airstrikes hit in Tehran as Iranians celebrated the Persian New Year, known as Nowruz, a normally festive holiday that has been muted by the war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squelch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squelch. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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