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
Sabrina Carpenter The nature of Mendes' relationship with Sabrina Carpenter was always officially labeled as a friendship—but that did little to quell speculation. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 The external chaos was leaking into his personal life, manifesting itself into a series of indignities that did little to quell his anxiety about a country turned upside down. Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024 Eventually, the town’s leaders felt compelled to quell the social-media storm. Jessica Pishko, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2024 Liam Peach, senior emerging markets economist at Capital Economics, expects Russia’s budget plans to do nothing to quell demand-supply imbalances, leading to further price pressures. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near quell

Cite this Entry

“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quell. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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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