verb
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to subdue forcefully and completely; put down; suppress
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to annul or make void (a law, decision, etc)
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to reject (an indictment, writ, etc) as invalid
Other Word Forms
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"
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Scrabble: Words that Begin with Q
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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.
"The authorities should promptly quash these latest convictions and sentences, and unconditionally release Kem Sokha and all others arbitrarily detained for exercising their rights," said Laurence.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
Student-loan scams have been operating for years, and they’ve eluded multiple efforts by regulators to quash them.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
The Fed asked the court to quash the subpoenas issued by the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026
Earlier this week, a group of First Nations leaders gathered at the Alberta legislature in Edmonton to call on the provincial premier, Danielle Smith, to quash any possible succession referendum.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
I grit my teeth and quash an impulse to throw a trowel at it.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
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.
