1
as in suppressed
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shushed
to stop the noise or speech of
the principal held up her hand to quell the students so they could hear the urgent announcement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quelled
Redick shouted out Bronny James for his efforts against Indiana after the game, lauding his defensive intensity – often being switched onto Pacers All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, and holding his own – along with a late mid-range jumper that quelled concerns of a once-improbable Indiana comeback.
—
Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
The shooter killed an instructor and wounded two others before the ROTC cadets attacked him and quelled the threat, showing incredible bravery in the face of danger.
—Nicole Russell, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
Turns out their insatiable desire for drama and noise has yet to be quelled, which means their upcoming batch of concerts will be as entrancing as ever.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026
But Jimenez quelled that in the 76’ to break the scoreless tie.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Mar. 2026
And that kind of turned into a little thing, but that has all been dissipated and quelled.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, were killed when the military quelled the protests on June 3-4, 1989.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
Suspicion of a Kurdish insurgency, however, might not be so easily quelled, not only among Pahlavi’s supporters but across Iran’s political spectrum.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2026
Deadly childhood disease after deadly childhood disease quelled by vaccines.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 2 Mar. 2026
Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
The shooter killed an instructor and wounded two others before the ROTC cadets attacked him and quelled the threat, showing incredible bravery in the face of danger.
—Nicole Russell, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
Turns out their insatiable desire for drama and noise has yet to be quelled, which means their upcoming batch of concerts will be as entrancing as ever.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026
But Jimenez quelled that in the 76’ to break the scoreless tie.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Mar. 2026
And that kind of turned into a little thing, but that has all been dissipated and quelled.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, were killed when the military quelled the protests on June 3-4, 1989.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
Suspicion of a Kurdish insurgency, however, might not be so easily quelled, not only among Pahlavi’s supporters but across Iran’s political spectrum.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2026
Deadly childhood disease after deadly childhood disease quelled by vaccines.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quelled
Verb
-
That melatonin your brain just started producing gets suppressed again immediately.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
That means speech around controversial issues, diet and fitness, mental health topics, sexuality, and much more will be suppressed.—
Elizabeth Nolan Brown,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some shushed the crowds, urging them to be silent and reverent.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
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
-
Backed by his wife’s wealthy family, Coronado hoped to amass a fortune equal to that of Hernan Cortez, who had brutally subdued the Aztecs.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Francesca is one of the Bridgerton siblings, whose story up until this point has been more subdued.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Yet, for now, the guns have quieted.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The score came in the waning seconds of the power play and with just under two minutes in the period, and quieted the crimson and gold-clad crowd.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Another ball India crushed later in the game would have been out of several.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Duke was absolutely crushed for the second straight year.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Under both regimes, Black voices and ideas are silenced.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Mar. 2026
-
It was finally silenced, to cheers from the crowd, but then the main scoreboard and video screen that hangs over the middle of the court went dark.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Reforms often required strong executive power, largely at the expense of social stability and democratic legitimacy; protests against the IMF’s programs left scores dead as authorities repressed dissent.—
Sven van Mourik,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Iran, where major protests in January were brutally repressed, has between 50% and 60% under 30.—
John Rennie Short,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
My limbs stilled and grew heavy in the heat, but Alice jiggled her knees up and down, bursting out with short spurts of conversation that weighed against the beauty of our silence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Hostilities were temporarily stilled by a ceasefire, but fighting resumed in early December.—
John Vink,
The Dial,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quelled. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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