Did you know?
There are two quash verbs in the English language, and although their meanings are similar, they have entirely different origins. Both essentially mean to get rid of something—you can quash a rumor, for example, or you can quash a judicial order. The legal term quash (meaning "to nullify") comes from the Anglo-French words casser or quasser, meaning "to annul," and is ultimately from Latin cassus, "to void." The other quash means "to suppress or extinguish summarily and completely." It derives from the Middle English word quashen, meaning "to smash," and is ultimately from a form of the Latin verb quatere, meaning "to shake."
Examples of quash in a Sentence
Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 27 May 2025
The owner is certainly of the belief that this quashes any anxious feelings the dog might have about being left behind.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 May 2025
Harvard's lawsuit and students call revocation an attack on free speech
The move has come amid a broader crackdown on universities accused of failing to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and adequately quash pro-Palestinian activism on campuses.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 23 May 2025
In the court filing, Freedman indicated that the motions to quash would likely become moot, as negotiations were underway with Swift’s law firm, Venable LLP.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for quash
Cite this Entry
“Quash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quash. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quash
2 of 2 verbVerb
Middle English quashen "to smash," from early French quasser, casser (same meaning), from Latin quassare "to shake violently, shatter," from quatere "to shake"
Verb
Middle English quashen "to nullify," from early French casser, quasser "to annul," from Latin cassare (same meaning), from earlier Latin cassus "void"
Legal Definition
quash
transitive verbTransitive verb
Anglo-French quasser, from Middle French casser, quasser, from Late Latin cassare, from Latin cassus void
Share