squelch

[ skwelch ]

verb (used with object)

1. to strike or press with crushing force; crush down; squash.
2. to put down, suppress, or silence, as with a crushing retort or argument.

verb (used without object)

1. to make a splashing sound.
2. to tread heavily in water, mud, wet shoes, etc., with such a sound.

noun

1. a squelched or crushed mass of anything.
2. a splashing sound.
3. an act of squelching or suppressing, as by a crushing retort or argument.
4. Also called squelch circuit, Electronics. a circuit in a receiver, as a radio receiver, that automatically reduces or eliminates noise when the receiver is tuned to a frequency at which virtually no carrier wave occurs.

squelch

/ skwɛltʃ /

verb

1. intr to walk laboriously through soft wet material or with wet shoes, making a sucking noise
2. intr to make such a noise
3. tr to crush completely; squash
4. informal.
   tr to silence, as by a crushing retort

noun

1. a squelching sound
2. something that has been squelched
3. electronics a circuit that cuts off the audio-frequency amplifier of a radio receiver in the absence of an input signal, in order to suppress background noise
4. informal.
   a crushing remark

Derived Forms

• ˈsquelching, adjective
• ˈsquelcher, noun
• ˈsquelchy, adjective

Other Words From

• squelcher noun
• squelching·ly adverb
• squelching·ness noun
• un·squelched adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of squelch¹

1610–20; variant of quelch in same sense (perhaps blend of quell and quash ); initial s perhaps from squash ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of squelch¹

C17: of imitative origin

Example Sentences

Even so, AEI is mostly a bystander as Republicans fight among themselves to squelch the Tea Party grassroots.

From The Daily Beast

Attempting to squelch political speech by calling it hate speech only makes Israel look weaker.

From The Daily Beast

Yes, the party wants to squelch cultural expressions that threaten its own continuity and survival.

From The Daily Beast

In attempting to squelch the protests, government forces killed six people on March 18 and more four days later.

From The Daily Beast

But will the intervention help squelch an escalating conflict?

From The Daily Beast

A bulky object fell with a heavy squelch in the middle of the street, a few yards from us.

From Project Gutenberg

I don't think that you can discover that Douglas ever talked of going to Virginia to "squelch" out that idea there.

From Project Gutenberg

The thing must be squelched, and the only way to squelch it, when they fired they must fire to kill.

From Project Gutenberg

Wellington felt called upon to squelch him: "You Englishmen never had a real tub till we Americans sold 'em to you."

From Project Gutenberg

And there were always a sufficient number of good fellows around to squelch anybody who tried to interfere with my efficiency.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• crush
• extinguish
• muffle
• oppress
• repress
• smother
• squash
• stifle
• thwart