quash
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to subdue forcefully and completely; put down; suppress
-
to annul or make void (a law, decision, etc)
-
to reject (an indictment, writ, etc) as invalid
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has quashedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have quashedperfect
-
are quashingprogressive
-
am quashingprogressive 1st person singular
-
has been quashingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
have been quashingperfect progressive
-
is quashingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
quashingparticiple
-
quashessingular 3rd person
Past
-
had quashedperfect
-
were quashingprogressive plural
-
had been quashingperfect progressive
-
was quashingprogressive singular
-
quashedsimple
-
quashedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of quash
1300–50; Middle English quashen to smash, break, overcome, suppress < Old French quasser, in part < Latin quassāre to shake (frequentative of quatere to shake; cf. concussion); in part < Late Latin cassāre to annul, derivative of Latin cassus empty, void
Explanation
Quash means to put down, stop, extinguish, and it’s usually used to talk about ideas, feelings, or political movements. You wouldn’t quash a grape underfoot; you would squash it. But if you were a military dictator, you would quash a revolution. Quash is an extreme word. It comes from the French word for smash, or shatter. If something is quashed it is completely suppressed, usually by something or someone very powerful or authoritative. If you wrote a poem and asked your favorite teacher to read it, and that teacher tore it to pieces, then your hopes were most likely quashed.
Vocabulary lists containing quash
40 SAT words Beginning with "Q"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Change Your Mind
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Scrabble: Words that Begin with Q
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Student-loan scams have been operating for years, and they’ve eluded multiple efforts by regulators to quash them.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
District Court for the District of Columbia—weighed in, mincing no words when agreeing to quash those subpoenas.
From Slate • Mar. 19, 2026
"The Court therefore finds that the subpoenas were issued for an improper purpose and will quash them."
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
As part of his ruling, Boasberg also granted the central bank’s request to unseal the proceedings related to the Fed’s effort to quash the subpoenas targeting its chair.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
I have quite enough to do at the moment without trying to quash these ridiculous rumors.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
