verb
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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
- unquashed adjective
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; concussion ); in part < Late Latin cassāre to annul, derivative of Latin cassus empty, void
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.
By her own recognition, that can establish a certain public perception - and it is something she is keen to quash after swapping Mediterranean life for a relegation battle in the East Midlands.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
District Court for the District of Columbia—weighed in, mincing no words when agreeing to quash those subpoenas.
From Slate • Mar. 19, 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
A court could also limit or quash the subpoenas issued to the Fed, effectively ending the dispute.
From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026
I paused and looked toward my bedroom, hoping Fig would come sprinting down the hall, meowing for his food, and quash my churning worries.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
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.
