quell

1 of 2

verb

quelled; quelling; quells
Synonyms of quell

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
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Verb
Police had to use a water cannon to quell the demonstrators. Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 11 June 2026 The pledge was ultimately enough to quell GOP anxieties about the fund, and days later, despite hours of handwringing from a handful of Republicans, the Senate approved the package in a 52 to 47 vote. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 10 June 2026 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli troops are there to quell Hezbollah fire on Israeli civilians in northern Israel. Greg Myre, NPR, 10 June 2026 Owens, who tried to reach third, was gunned down by left fielder Brendan Brock, quelling the early threat. Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 June 2026 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

14th 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 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quell. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

quell

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

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