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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Recent Examples of quell
But the speculation in space, nuclear, mobility, and quantum names must be quelled to get a real ending to this.
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Jim Cramer, CNBC, 20 Dec. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for quell 
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 20 Dec. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for quell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quell
Verb
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The ceremony, traditionally celebratory, was subdued as protesters gathered outside the Capitol in San Juan.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025
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Officers subdued her, handcuffed her and called fire rescue.Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Back then, Mason was the kind of person who got excited about camera placement on a mountain to capture just the right shot as a downhill ski racer shushed past.Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2024
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Other players use this tactic too, including Djokovic’s friend Nick Kyrgios (on many occasions), Sebastian Korda at this year’s Italian Open in Rome, and Taylor Fritz, who shushed an entire stadium after beating Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech at Roland Garros in 2023.Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 13 July 2024
Verb
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Facebook played a major role in the 2020 election and came under fire from Trump and Republicans for allegedly suppressing conservative voices.Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Jan. 2025
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Some Korean veterans of that war were also involved in suppressing uprisings such as the one in Gwangju.Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Attempts to question Fernández de Kirchner’s authority are silenced brutally – just ask ex president Alberto Fernández, or Axel Kicillof.Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
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Lawyers for TikTok have argued that shuttering the app in the U.S. will silence not only its speech, but also that of the 170 million Americans who regularly use it.Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Tim starts out middle class, conservative, repressed in his sexuality, and his habit of drinking milk represents those values, Nyswaner says.Allison P. Davis, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
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The sanctions, primarily levied by Western countries,aimed to curb the Syrian regime’s ability to fund its military operations and repress dissent, and force it to the negotiating table.Karam Shaar, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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His father was a research scientist for the Department of Agriculture, and his peripatetic family lived in the plains states, the Pacific Northwest and the Southeast before settling in Alexandria, Virginia, where Lynch attended high school.Chris Morris, Variety, 16 Jan. 2025
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Wakil, who was born in Syria and raised in Venezuela before settling in Miami more than a decade ago, was a rags to riches businessman who profited from his corrupt contracts with the Venezuelan government, U.S. authorities say.Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In 2021, the government of Boris Johnson approved the plans—over opposition from local residents—only to have the decision quashed in court because of legislation, dating from 1900, which forbids further construction in the park.Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
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After seven weeks, Deng had the protests quashed ruthlessly, in the process foreclosing the political democratization that Hu had hoped for.Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 1 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Giddy with excitement over the end of season win, Biles posted a video of her and her friend after the game attempting to celebrate quietly while hushing and grinning ear to ear.Rachel Flynn, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
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Squabbling coaches — Tindall had put his fingers to his lips to hush Unai Emery after Duran’s departure, earning invective in response — added to the sense of renaissance.George Caulkin, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near quell
Cite this Entry
“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quell. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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