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
Verb
TikTok has been unable to reach a deal with national security officials to quell their concerns — fueling efforts in Congress. Mariana Alfaro, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 Cole Scherer leads all scorers with 24 points, while Charlie Spann has turned in a monster game — and helped quell some of the Eagles’ momentum in the waning minutes of the third — with 18 total points. Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2024 Related article Kate’s photo should have quelled the rumors. Brian Fung, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Over the next 14 days, the Arizona Forestry and Fire Management team will be sent to the frontlines to help quell the fires, fighting against strong winds and unseasonably warm temperatures that only increase fire activity, according to Davila. Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 Even the violent attack on the Capitol building was quelled within the day and the processes of democracy could proceed. Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 In the first year of his third term, Lula secured legislative backing to pass a sweeping tax reform, skillfully quelled a populist insurrection, and aligned military factions. Matias Spektor, Foreign Affairs, 28 Feb. 2024 The vast and powerful House Harkonnen and the elite Imperial army descend in warships to quell Paul’s Fremen uprising—a rebellion led by an inexperienced teenager and a people that are fanatical fighters but technologically inferior and outgunned. Erik Kain, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 At least one person, a Haiti National Police officer, was shot during an exchange of gunfire between gang members and police trying to quell the violence. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quell.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 19 Mar. 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

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