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
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Verb
The Washington National Guard is sending members to assist as emergency crews work to quell the blazes. — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026 Although, the European Court of Justice did rule in 2023 that both UEFA’s and FIFA’s efforts to quell the upstart league violated the EU’s competition laws. — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 30 July 2026 Economists expected the Fed to raise interest rates as soon as September to quell inflation, which also factored into their expectations for slower economic growth in the second half. — Reuters, NBC news, 30 July 2026 Meanwhile, officials have quelled concerns about nearby nuclear power stations. — Tiago Ventura, Time, 30 July 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 5 Aug. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on quell

Nglish: Translation of quell for Spanish Speakers

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