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
Government officials have hastened to quell any panic.
—
Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 11 Feb. 2025
In my play-through as the Persian empire, surviving into the exploration age automatically quelled the uprisings.
—Yussef Cole, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
The state has scrambled to quell the labor dispute.
—Jay Root, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Colloidal oatmeal helps quell any requisite inflammation, while tranexamic acid works to fade spots.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quell
Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 11 Feb. 2025
In my play-through as the Persian empire, surviving into the exploration age automatically quelled the uprisings.
—Yussef Cole, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
The state has scrambled to quell the labor dispute.
—Jay Root, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Colloidal oatmeal helps quell any requisite inflammation, while tranexamic acid works to fade spots.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quell
Verb
-
Canada’s democracy has frayed and strained in the years since, but always held—Quebec’s independence movement was subdued by real concessions from the rest of the provinces, for instance.—
Bill McKibben,
The New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2025
-
He was subdued after an officer fired a beanbag round, striking Hermanson and allowing police to arrest him.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Duke did things to Illinois on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, in a 110-67 eyeful that wasn’t as close as the final score, to shush talk of a weak ACC potentially costing Cooper and the fighting Flaggs a No. 1 seed.—
Joe Rexrode,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
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Visiting Villa manager Unai Emery had earlier been left angered by the decision to send off Jhon Duran with Tindall later seen shushing the Spaniard in the technical area.—
Callum Davis,
The Athletic,
9 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The answer is clear: Our city council clings to an outdated system that suppresses voter engagement.—
DP Opinion,
The Denver Post,
4 Mar. 2025
-
From algorithmic bias that suppresses Black creators to the unchecked harassment that drives them offline, the need for digital hubs designed with Black users in mind has never been more urgent.—
Jasmine Browley,
Essence,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Our social media volunteers, supporters in the diaspora, and activists have had their families harassed and abducted, all in an effort to silence dissent.—
Imran Khan,
TIME,
28 Feb. 2025
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The battle for copyright in the AI age is far from over, but one thing is clear: musicians, writers, and artists are ready to fight back, and they will not be silenced. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.—
Virginie Berger,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Ed’s monstrous behavior under the influence of cortisone shatters the veneer of middle-class gentility to reveal the fault lines repressed beneath it.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
26 Feb. 2025
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With the movie itself proving its might across three different categories, Morris’ absence begs the question: How? —Joey Nolfi 12 of 13 SNUB: Challengers score Time to compress and repress your rage, as the Academy pulled the aux cord out from one of the best original scores of 2024.—
Joey Nolfi,
EW.com,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In the 1970s, his family immigrated to the U.S., settling first in Massachusetts and then in California, outside of Los Angeles.—
Alice Park,
TIME,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Slotkin’s spoke from Wyandotte, Michigan, a working-class community south of Detroit, as Democrats struggle to settle on a unified message to combat Trump, which was on full display Tuesday night as Trump delivered the longest address to Congress by a president in U.S. history.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The behind-the-scenes look opens with footage of a desperate emergency broadcast calling for help because Imperial ships were landing, filled with storm troopers intent on quashing any protesters or nascent rebels against the Empire who might be lurking about.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
Ars Technica,
5 Mar. 2025
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Kemp quashed the rebellion after his allies in the Legislature argued that Pathways needed more time to prove itself.—
Margaret Coker,
ProPublica,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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While brands cite rising ingredient costs, sustainability efforts, and product shelf-life concerns, these explanations may not be enough to hush growing skepticism.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
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In that meeting, Trump and Macron embraced and shook hands for about 17 seconds and once again engaged in a handshake and hushed whispers that sparked public conversation.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quell. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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