1
as in to suppress
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
immediately squelched any signs of rebellion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of squelch
Larry Neumeister, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
The other 32 states, along with the District of Columbia, plan to continue trying to convince a jury that Live Nation Entertainment and its ticketing subsidiary, Ticketmaster, are squelching competition and driving up prices for fans.
—ABC News, 13 Mar. 2026
Nina MacLaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, 20 July 2023
Finally, an electronic squelch.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 1 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for squelch
Verb
The other 32 states plan to continue trying to convince a jury that Live Nation Entertainment and its ticketing subsidiary, Ticketmaster, are squelching competition and driving up prices for fans.
—Larry Neumeister, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
The other 32 states, along with the District of Columbia, plan to continue trying to convince a jury that Live Nation Entertainment and its ticketing subsidiary, Ticketmaster, are squelching competition and driving up prices for fans.
—ABC News, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
Poems of ‘human residue’ in a new collection Joe Hall’s poems move between a fist-pounding urgency, the fire and squelch of this moment of our endtime, and a vulnerability hushed and gentle as a nightgown on a laundry line.
—Nina MacLaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, 20 July 2023
Finally, an electronic squelch.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 1 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for squelch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squelch
Verb
-
Fungicides, for instance, are used to suppress disease-causing pathogens like blights and leaf spots, but might also impact beneficial microbes that live in flowers.—
Miri Talabac,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Researchers from the University of Bristol in England and the University at Buffalo in New York found that people actively trying to suppress food cravings were more likely to spend time watching indulgent food content online — yet ended up eating less of it afterward.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To the point where Reid shushed him down at times.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Lyonne shushed the staffer, got up and headed to the bathroom, according to Page Six.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There were none of Trump’s customary wisecracks, no theatrical asides.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Barry Diller was full of wisecracks tonight at the PGA Awards.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Nor has the admission that there were performance problems done much to quell rampant speculation that the company is running short of computing resources and that Anthropic’s efforts to ration precious computing power were the real reason for the performance issues.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Over the past few months, the pending consolidation sparked many fears, which David Ellison tried to quell.—
Mandalit del Barco,
NPR,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Kapanen silenced the raucous sellout crowd at Honda Center 38 seconds after the opening faceoff with his fourth goal in four games.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The country was once very free online, remarkable given President Vladimir Putin’s autocratic rule, but more recently access to global messaging apps has been restricted and the internet has been completely shut down at times as Moscow has sought to silence criticism.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
What is a good retort for those who ask about my family status?—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Bruins fans didn’t have much of a retort, either.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Two sources described the evening to Variety as subdued.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Both would like to subdue Hezbollah and transform it into a relatively normal Lebanese political party.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Somewhat muted amid Pat Riley’s comments this week about the need for decisive Miami Heat change were cautionary words about a process that also could be deferred, put on hold.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The immediate impact may be muted, but over time a looser OPEC — as well as a UAE that feels empowered to pump more crude — could erode the oil-price floor underpinning the economies of top African producers Nigeria and Angola.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squelch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squelch. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
