quell

verb

ˈkwel How to pronounce quell (audio)
Definition of quellnext
1
as in to subdue
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 to shush
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quell The Federal Reserve two weeks ago raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time since 2023 in an effort to quell stubbornly high inflation, and the central bank signaled another rate hike could occur later this year. — Matt Ott, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026 Previous attempts to curb ICE activity in California have run into legal roadblocks after the White House sent the National Guard to quell protests in Los Angeles last year. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2026 So playing Blackjack at home quells some of their desire to do something catastrophic. — Marah Eakin, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026 State and local officials and several of Wells’ white friends who had become the target of that speculation had hoped that the grand jury report would quell critics. — Sophie Bates, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for quell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quell
  1. subdue
  2. shush
  3. suppress
  4. silence
  5. repress
  6. settle
  7. quash
  8. hush
Verb
  • His actions nearly crashed the flight with 182 people on board before passengers and others rushed in and subdued him.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Abiy has tried and failed to subdue Tigray’s rebellious leaders in recent months, with TPLF Chairman Debretsion Gebremichael openly challenging him.
    — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of subdue
Verb
  • Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim went to 3-0 for the week with a crowd-shushing rally from 2 down to a 2-and-1 victory over Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
  • His interactions with Daemon (Matt Smith) last season, going so far as to shush him at one point, were a breath of fresh air.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of shush
Verb
  • After security forces suppressed peaceful protests with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, plunging large parts of the country into conflict.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • What explains this difficulty in suppressing the Canal Street counterfeiters?
    — Daniel Edward Rosen, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • What’s worse, the law put the onus on them to ask to be silenced.
    — Gretchen Carlson, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • History was repeating, ancient bonds once damaged in war, silenced, and soothed in the quiet moments after.
    — Nicky Robertson, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of silence
Verb
  • Jeffrey Jarquín, 35, was taken directly from the deportation flight to Nicaragua’s notorious Modelo prison, where he had been held previously for participating in pro-democracy marches that were violently repressed by President Daniel Ortega.
    — Ismael López, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Gordon is determined to surface elements of self that society seeks to repress.
    — Chanel Miller, Time, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of repress
Verb
  • Florida’s research has long tracked how different kinds of work settle in different places.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Mercury in your partnership house squares Mars in your 4th, creating friction between another person’s perspective and what feels comfortable or settled to you.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of settle
Verb
  • This new paper highlights a number of topics where scientists might best fill the vacuum created by the White House’s report-quashing actions.
    — Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Merz quashed talk within the press and his own party about his possible resignation despite Sunday's losses for his party just two weeks after a crushing defeat in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
    — Esme Nicholson, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of quash
Verb
  • The lounge is a real scene, especially during afternoon tea, when a perfectly coiffed crowd has hushed discussions about worldly matters.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The park has already taken some steps to hush their new attraction.
    — Lynette Rice, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of hush

Browse Nearby Words

queers
quell
quelled
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Cite this Entry

“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quell. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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