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
Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 1 Jan. 2023
So Secretary Rusk put a squelch on those missions.
—CBS News, 13 Oct. 2021
Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
The ruling was a win for testing giants Quest Diagnostics and Labcorp as well as for academic medical centers, which frequently make their own lab tests and had argued that the Biden administration rule would squelch innovation and drive up compliance costs by more than $1 billion a year.
—Adriel Bettelheim, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squelch
Verb
Finally, an electronic squelch.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 1 Jan. 2023
So Secretary Rusk put a squelch on those missions.
—CBS News, 13 Oct. 2021
Noun
The fact that the earnings were part of a Kickstarter campaign and never released didn't squelch the rumors.
—Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
The ruling was a win for testing giants Quest Diagnostics and Labcorp as well as for academic medical centers, which frequently make their own lab tests and had argued that the Biden administration rule would squelch innovation and drive up compliance costs by more than $1 billion a year.
—Adriel Bettelheim, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squelch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squelch
Verb
-
Past research, Jansen notes, has found that cannabis can suppress the immune system through its active compounds: CBD, THC and other minor cannabinoids.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
-
Sandra Lynn Hemme filed the suit Thursday, which accuses investigators of fabricating evidence, coercing a false confession and suppressing evidence that could have proven her innocence.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
For a start, the cheers from the nearby Andy Murray Arena are loud and booming, but so too is the exclusive balcony area hanging just to the side of the court, where people are sipping their wine or their Pimm’s and chatting loudly (the judge on court 1 has to shush them at one point).—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
-
The crowd had just spent an entire overtime shushing each other.—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
Paytas diehards were quick to link the two, flooding the internet with wisecracks about her third child once again carrying the soul of a prominent cultural icon.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
-
On the show, O’Brien deploys his Boston brogue to offer a mix of wisecracks and humblebrags.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
While Warren Buffett, the chairman of BNSF parent Berkshire Hathaway, shot down the Goldman speculation, that hasn’t quelled chatter that CSX may be in the railroad’s crosshairs as an acquisition target.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
28 July 2025
-
In order to try and quell the escalation, former Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra rang Hun Manet’s father, Hun Sen to soothe tensions.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
28 July 2025
Verb
-
And as long as the law remains on the books, the threat of enforcement will continue to hang over pastors and churches like a sword, silencing some through fear and confusion.—
Lauren Cooley,
Sun Sentinel,
21 July 2025
-
Still, many progressives, including some political leaders, saw a nefarious motive and a brazen attempt to silence an outspoken liberal voice.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
21 July 2025
Noun
-
On the golf course, whenever his more athletic playing partners start talking trash, Baumgartner has his retort at the ready.—
Daniel Brown,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
-
The seething retort against Drake not only rattled the 6 God and his disciples but unequivocally lunged Lamar into God mode.—
Carl Lamarre,
Billboard,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
Along with other bystanders, Perry helped subdue the perpetrator, whom officials identified as 42-year-old Bradford James Gille.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
29 July 2025
-
The stabbing rampage that took place Saturday, July 26, left 11 people injured before onlookers, one of them apparently armed with a handgun, subdued the suspect in the parking lot outside the store just before police arrived, police said.—
Clara Hendrickson,
Freep.com,
29 July 2025
Verb
-
Their shoulders are cooking beneath their shirts; the women have scarlet necks, the red of their arms is barely muted by muslin sleeves.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 July 2025
-
The buzz surrounding the Cubs hosting the 2027 All-Star Game at Wrigley Field was muted in Atlanta with no announcement last week.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squelch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squelch. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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