1
as in suppressing
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
immediately squelched any signs of rebellion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shushing
to stop the noise or speech of
his irritated glare squelched any other potential objectors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squelching
The other 32 states plan to continue trying to convince a jury that Live Nation Entertainment and its ticketing subsidiary, Ticketmaster, are squelching competition and driving up prices for fans.
—
Larry Neumeister, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
The other 32 states plan to continue trying to convince a jury that Live Nation Entertainment and its ticketing subsidiary, Ticketmaster, are squelching competition and driving up prices for fans.
—ABC News, 13 Mar. 2026
The continuation of the trial will leave the states to press claims to further dismantle a monopoly the Justice Department said was squelching competition and driving up prices for fans.
—Larry Neumeister, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
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
Then, civic leaders and voters can openly debate the wisdom of squelching free speech and unfettered human inquiry.
—James Druckman, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
Whoever came up with the idea to merge a Planet Earth–style doc with the screeching score, squelching sounds, and jump scares of the horror genre, congratulations.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
In between times, there are long shots of the gingko, tree’s-eye views of what is happening on the ground and squelching closeups of germinating seeds – luscious and inescapably sensual.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
Larry Neumeister, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
The other 32 states plan to continue trying to convince a jury that Live Nation Entertainment and its ticketing subsidiary, Ticketmaster, are squelching competition and driving up prices for fans.
—ABC News, 13 Mar. 2026
The continuation of the trial will leave the states to press claims to further dismantle a monopoly the Justice Department said was squelching competition and driving up prices for fans.
—Larry Neumeister, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
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
Then, civic leaders and voters can openly debate the wisdom of squelching free speech and unfettered human inquiry.
—James Druckman, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
Whoever came up with the idea to merge a Planet Earth–style doc with the screeching score, squelching sounds, and jump scares of the horror genre, congratulations.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
In between times, there are long shots of the gingko, tree’s-eye views of what is happening on the ground and squelching closeups of germinating seeds – luscious and inescapably sensual.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squelching
Verb
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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
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Levy sat on the floor, watching like a proud father and shushing whisperers.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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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
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Government forces brought reinforcements into Suqaylabiyah, quelling the violence.—
Omar Albam,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
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Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever in 2024, accusing it of silencing its statements in support of Palestinians in the Gaza war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
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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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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
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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
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Questioning whether Jews deserve equal rights without muting their identity is not a neutral intellectual exercise.—
Kenneth L. Marcus,
Boston Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
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At the bottom of the screen are buttons for recording video, taking a snapshot, initiating two-way talk, playing a pre-recorded quick response voice message, and muting the sound.—
John R. Delaney,
PC Magazine,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Squelching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squelching. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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