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
After years of smoking to help quell her anxiety, Tish found that the drug only made things worse. Marina Watts, People.com, 15 July 2025 The situation boiled over in Los Angeles in June after the president deployed the California National Guard and U.S. Marines to quell protests calling for abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Alexandria Burris, IndyStar, 3 July 2025 Don’t have a problem using the National Guard to quell rioting in Los Angeles, your anti-democracy. Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 3 July 2025 The protests notably started in Los Angeles and garnered national and international attention, especially after Trump deployed the National Guard, and later the Marines, to quell the demonstrations, without the request of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Callum Sutherland, Time, 1 July 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 21 Jul. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!