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
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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
The mosquitoes came out in droves at night, just before bed, quelling our ambitions of stargazing or watching for the northern lights.
—
John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2026
Owens, who tried to reach third, was gunned down by left fielder Brendan Brock, quelling the early threat.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 June 2026
Also quelling demand is China’s pivot toward producing chemicals from raw materials like coal instead of oil, according to analysts.
—Devika Krishna Kumar, Fortune, 6 June 2026
Centered on Zhong Kui, the iconic demon-quelling deity of Chinese folklore, the family-friendly adventure follows a young human girl named Chujiu who accidentally enters the underworld.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 June 2026
And then there’s a man falling from a building, smoke bombs, and an army quelling protesters.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2026
After Congress passed a law lifting restrictions on the army’s role in quelling civil unrest late Tuesday, Paz now has the constitutional authority to invoke this power.
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
Government forces brought reinforcements into Suqaylabiyah, quelling the violence.
—Omar Albam, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
In December, the Mouse House pledged to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and entered a three-year licensing agreement for allowing over 200 Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars characters’ likenesses to be used in Sora, quelling some of the text-to-video app’s brushups with copyright law.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2026
Owens, who tried to reach third, was gunned down by left fielder Brendan Brock, quelling the early threat.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 June 2026
Also quelling demand is China’s pivot toward producing chemicals from raw materials like coal instead of oil, according to analysts.
—Devika Krishna Kumar, Fortune, 6 June 2026
Centered on Zhong Kui, the iconic demon-quelling deity of Chinese folklore, the family-friendly adventure follows a young human girl named Chujiu who accidentally enters the underworld.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 June 2026
And then there’s a man falling from a building, smoke bombs, and an army quelling protesters.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2026
After Congress passed a law lifting restrictions on the army’s role in quelling civil unrest late Tuesday, Paz now has the constitutional authority to invoke this power.
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
Government forces brought reinforcements into Suqaylabiyah, quelling the violence.
—Omar Albam, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
In December, the Mouse House pledged to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and entered a three-year licensing agreement for allowing over 200 Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars characters’ likenesses to be used in Sora, quelling some of the text-to-video app’s brushups with copyright law.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quelling
Verb
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Viewers have already seen glimpses of the premiere, which involves Aang and Katara subduing a sea serpent while guiding refugees across a treacherous path.—
Entertainment Weekly,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 June 2026
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Officers then shot her with a Taser, subduing her enough to take her into custody, police said.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Trae Young won Madison Square Garden’s undying enmity in the 2021 playoffs for the Atlanta Hawks, punctuating game-breaking shots by shushing the crowd or bowing to the fans and waving goodbye.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Wine country with kids in tow doesn’t have to mean a stressful afternoon of shushing and screen time.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2026
Verb
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But the country’s key tool for suppressing the pest — a facility that breeds sterile flies to halt reproduction of the parasite — isn’t slated to begin operating until November 2027.—
Ilena Peng,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
-
The health care provider would then diagnose a player with Parkinson’s and, usually, issue a prescription for levodopa, a medicine that treats Parkinson’s by masking or suppressing symptoms.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 June 2026
Verb
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However, the Rams’ acquisition of Garrett puts a team that was firmly a Super Bowl favorite back in the conversation for a 2026 Super Bowl run, quieting the doubters who rose after the 2026 NFL Draft.—
Gladys Louise Tyler,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
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The company says the device supports sleep by lowering cortisol within minutes, slowing the heart, quieting racing thoughts and shifting users into parasympathetic mode.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The Murillo-Ortega dictatorship has been accused of repressing the Nicaraguan people — especially Catholic and LGBTQ citizens.—
Jake Shore,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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People fed up with rolling blackouts have staged sporadic protests in recent days, banging pots and shouting slogans against the government, rare demonstrations in a country known for repressing dissent.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Wembanyama missed seven shots from the floor, going 11 of 18 and silencing the crowd that at one point directed a vulgar chant his way.—
Stephen Whyno,
Twin Cities,
9 June 2026
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The problem was that common bean plants are notoriously difficult to genetically modify, so the usual modern techniques like gene silencing were off the table.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Housing is too expensive, gas is at $5 a gallon, and student debt is crushing an entire generation of young people.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2026
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The first day of what is expected to be the biggest World Cup in women’s cricket history saw the spotlight shift away from Ben Stokes and a West End nightclub to a West End musical and a crushing victory for an England side aiming for this to be their Lionesses or Red Roses moment.—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
13 June 2026
Verb
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But the field has struggled to figure out a means of delivering RNA-muting molecules into organs and tissues beyond the liver, which has limited their reach.—
Elaine Chen,
STAT,
9 June 2026
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Historians have written about how the widespread fear and conformity of these periods reshaped American society in enduring ways, including the destruction of progressive political movements and both delaying and muting the Civil Rights Movement itself.—
Bruce Schneier,
The Conversation,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quelling. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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