quell

1 of 2

verb

ˈkwel How to pronounce quell (audio)
quelled; quelling; quells
Synonyms of quell

transitive verb

1
: to thoroughly overwhelm and reduce to submission or passivity
quell a riot
2
: quiet, pacify
quell fears
queller noun

quell

2 of 2

noun

1
obsolete : slaughter
2
archaic : the power of quelling

Synonyms of quell

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Verb

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Examples of quell in a Sentence

Verb the National Guard was called in to help quell the late-night disturbances downtown the principal held up her hand to quell the students so they could hear the urgent announcement
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
Even Luke Kuechly, who was honored at halftime for his recent induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, couldn’t quell any frustrations. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026 Some areas have received enough rain to quell the risk for the rest of the season, while others probably need another soaking. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 Trump is waging a campaign in the final moments of the midterm election to quell discontent among farmers, truckers and drivers exhausted by $4 gas and near-record diesel. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026 And while authorities tried to quell protests against the voter revision deletions in October, Shah described those opposing the voter revision as protecting infiltrators. — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for quell

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, to kill, quell, from Old English cwellan to kill; akin to Old High German quellen to torture, kill, quāla torment, Lithuanian gelti to hurt

Noun

Middle English, from quellen to kill

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of quell was in the 14th century

Rhymes for quell

See All Rhymes for quell

Browse Nearby Words

quelite
quell
quellable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quell. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

quell

verb
ˈkwel
1
: to put down by force
quell a riot
2
: quiet entry 3
quell fears
queller noun
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