1
as in subduing
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shushing
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 quelling
Rather than quelling terrorist attacks, permanently suppressing Palestinian aspirations would likely fuel an endless insurgency.
—
Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
Giddey also took a significant step toward quelling concerns about him as a shooter.
—Bobby Krivitsky, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
The Dalai Lama has been the key figure quelling violence when grassroots dissatisfaction has escalated into episodic uprisings in Tibet.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
The Interior Ministry report explicitly suggested the recognition of a Palestinian state as a means of quelling Islamic unrest, according to a translation from the Center for Security Policy.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2025
The system is expected to hook around a large plume of African dust that has been quelling hurricane development for the past several weeks, Fox Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross wrote on his blog, Hurricane Intel.
—David Schutz, Sun Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2025
Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
Giddey also took a significant step toward quelling concerns about him as a shooter.
—Bobby Krivitsky, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
The Dalai Lama has been the key figure quelling violence when grassroots dissatisfaction has escalated into episodic uprisings in Tibet.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
The Interior Ministry report explicitly suggested the recognition of a Palestinian state as a means of quelling Islamic unrest, according to a translation from the Center for Security Policy.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2025
The system is expected to hook around a large plume of African dust that has been quelling hurricane development for the past several weeks, Fox Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross wrote on his blog, Hurricane Intel.
—David Schutz, Sun Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quelling
Verb
-
The Giants won in all kinds of encouraging ways while subduing the wild-card-leading Cubs in a 5-2 victory Tuesday night.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
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The two also showed a demonstration of what a K9 takedown looks like, with Humphries acting as a target and K9 Bob subduing him.—
Richard Requena,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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By solving MXene’s stability problem and suppressing chloride corrosion, the research delivers a material that balances conductivity, durability, and performance.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Sep. 2025
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The focus of the nearly year-long legal battle has been 23XI and Front Row accusing NASCAR and CEO Jim France of suppressing the competition, and NASCAR countersued in March.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Tresemmé Lamellar Gloss Finishing Oil is what stands between you and shampoo-ad levels of shine, locking in luster and quieting frizz with its mix of sunflower, coconut, and macadamia oils.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Nine of those points came in a 16-0 third quarter run that turned a seven-point deficit into a 61-52 lead heading to the fourth, quieting the packed house in San Francisco’s Chase Center.—
Mike Cook,
Twin Cities,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This is welcome news for a system plagued by various exogenous shocks — including COVID and related frothy valuations, high interest rates and the 2022 market correction, the US electoral cycle, and tariff uncertainty — that have resulted in wide bid-ask spreads repressing deal activity.—
Control Risks,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Hamas’s response fluctuated between allowing discontent and repressing the demonstrations.—
Leila Seurat,
Foreign Affairs,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Netanyahu echoed the concern, warning that political violence aimed at silencing dissent undermines democratic values worldwide.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Time and again, history’s advance has been imagined to depend on silencing or destroying a single figure – the rival who becomes the ultimate, despicable foe.—
Maurizio Valsania,
The Conversation,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even well-meaning regulation can have soul-destroying and industry-crushing consequences.—
David Doty,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Electric trucks from Volvo Trucks, supported by material transport, are enabling fully emission-free operations from selective gutting through to concrete crushing, materials processing, and transport.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Echo chambers can emerge, amplifying consensus while muting dissenting expertise.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
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The Shag Originated in the late 1960s and popularized in the 1970s, the shag cut is comprised of short, choppy layers around the face, muting the body of hair on the sides.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Produced from vines dating back to 1950, the 2002, 2005 and 2015 are stilling thriving.—
Paul Caputo,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quelling. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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