verb

quell

kwehl

verb

To bring a disturbance, rebellion, or strong feeling under control; to suppress it.

"Troops were sent in to quell the riot."

"A cup of tea helped quell her nerves before the interview."

How to Use Quell

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo stop or calm something forceful — an uprising, fear, or noise.

Common pairings

quell fears quell a rebellion quell unrest

Word Forms

quelled past tense, quell plural, quelled plural, quells plural, quells plural, quells singular, quell singular, quelled singular, quellest singular, quelledst singular, quelleth singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Troops were sent in to _____ the riot.

Etymology

From Old English cwellan, "to kill" — related to the modern word kill.