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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quell
A week ago, the playoffs looked more than likely for the Rapids after a late winner against Houston, but this result and others around the West have quelled those hopes and will make for a nervous final three games of the season.
—
Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
But, this being Brady, all of that context hasn’t quelled debate.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 21 Sep. 2025
Hundreds of National Guard soldiers and Marines were deployed to the city in an effort to quell the explosive outbreak of demonstrations without Newsom’s approval.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 20 Sep. 2025
It was widely seen by anti-corruption activists as an attempt to quell their campaign exposing the poolside luxury lives of Nepal's elite.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quell
Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
But, this being Brady, all of that context hasn’t quelled debate.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 21 Sep. 2025
Hundreds of National Guard soldiers and Marines were deployed to the city in an effort to quell the explosive outbreak of demonstrations without Newsom’s approval.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 20 Sep. 2025
It was widely seen by anti-corruption activists as an attempt to quell their campaign exposing the poolside luxury lives of Nepal's elite.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quell
Verb
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Inflation remains stubbornly high and the economic outlook subdued, frustrating efforts to repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
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There were no injuries, and when officers arrived customers had subdued the suspect, police said in a news release.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Booing begins, and then shushing, and then booing again.—
Matthew Shen Goodman,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
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Jena asked, for which she was shushed), that was spotted and strong enough to kill a man.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Advertisement Amazon still faces another lawsuit brought by the FTC in 2023, which alleged that the company is an exploitative monopoly and illegally suppressed competition among online marketplaces.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
26 Sep. 2025
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The threats are so vague, and government power so extensive, that this will undoubtedly drive widespread self-censorship and suppress free expression across many communities out of fear.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Twin Cities,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Government shouldn't silence speech.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
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Just as the geographical Palestinian homeland must be seized by Zionist forces, all resistance quelled and all Indigenous Palestinians ultimately expelled and silenced forever, so too must any and all electronic trace of support for Palestinian freedom be expunged from the database.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There are so many things that are being repressed here, and when Vivian brings them up her mother reacts poorly.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
24 Sep. 2025
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Judd and Warhol are so clean and repressed by comparison.—
Jerry Saltz,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The network ultimately settled the case out of court for an undisclosed amount.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Sep. 2025
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The casting process for the Netflix movie was nearing its end, and the filmmakers still hadn’t settled on who would play the central couple, whose story is often used as a model for faith and love.—
Giana Levy,
Variety,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Those hardened positions have quashed behind-the-scenes efforts by a group of moderate Democrats and Republicans to work out some sort of mutual understanding or soft deal to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
30 Sep. 2025
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What — or who — comes next The same group of Upper Basin states that quashed Cooke's nomination also scuttled a pivotal tribal water settlement ratification in 2024.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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McIlroy would hush the USA crowd after putts, while Reed would bow to their applause.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
24 Sep. 2025
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Robert Kraft — sandwiched in between Travis Scott and his fellow REFORM Alliance Board Member Michael Rubin — shared hushed conversations with both.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quell. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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