quell

1 of 2

verb

quelled; quelling; quells

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Those rumors were quelled a bit when Smith was traded for, but Las Vegas might still be making a play to land the star quarterback prospect. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025 The mind games that are typically part of every Miami game were quelled by Vancouver’s fearless play. Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025 As trillions of dollars of shareholder value evaporated, a coterie of defenders mobilized to quell any protest. Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025 In hopes of quelling uncertainty, the president on Thursday announced a three-month pause on tariffs for nearly all trading partners, but notably left China out of the deal. Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 11 Apr. 2025 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

13th 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 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quell. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

quell

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

More from Merriam-Webster on quell

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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