verb / noun
squelch
SKWELCH/skweltʃ/
To forcibly suppress unwanted activity.
He squelches the other man's speech by covering his mouth.
Etymology
Squelch first described falling or stomping on something soft with crushing force, possibly suggesting the sound. That physical crushing became an image for completely suppressing opposition or silencing someone.
In context
I've written another article you better hurry down and help Livy squelch it
More examples
- The government uses force to squelch public protests.
- Her sharp response squelched any further debate.
- The radio's squelch mutes static when no strong signal is received.
Forms
squelch · squelches · squelched · squelching