quell

1 of 2

verb

quelled; quelling; quells

transitive verb

1
: to thoroughly overwhelm and reduce to submission or passivity
quell a riot
2
: quiet, pacify
quell fears
queller noun

quell

2 of 2

noun

1
obsolete : slaughter
2
archaic : the power of quelling

Examples of quell in a Sentence

Verb the National Guard was called in to help quell the late-night disturbances downtown the principal held up her hand to quell the students so they could hear the urgent announcement
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
The incident made national headlines, but did little to quell tensions in Portland. Kale Williams, Axios, 18 Dec. 2024 Feds try to tamp down worries about drone sightings Federal authorities sought to quell concerns about drone sightings in New Jersey and other states, as President-elect Donald Trump spoke out and lawmakers proposed the deployment of drone-tracking devices. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 17 Dec. 2024 As well as Gunther was booked as Intercontinental Champion, even a successful title defense at Saturday Night’s Main Event can’t quite quell concerns about his recent booking. Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024 Just wearing the wrong clothes or standing on the wrong block could lead to problems with the police, according to Padilla, whose group quells gang violence through diplomacy and social work. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for quell 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, to kill, quell, from Old English cwellan to kill; akin to Old High German quellen to torture, kill, quāla torment, Lithuanian gelti to hurt

Noun

Middle English, from quellen to kill

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of quell was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near quell

Cite this Entry

“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quell. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

quell

verb
ˈkwel
1
: to put down by force
quell a riot
2
: quiet entry 3
quell fears
queller noun

More from Merriam-Webster on quell

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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