The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - quell v.

1) suppress, put down, repress, subdue, quash, overcome, crush, squelch: The army arrived to quell the uprising at the prison. 2) moderate, mollify, soothe, assuage, alleviate, mitigate, allay, quiet, calm; pacify, tranquillize, compose: Any feelings of bitterness were quelled by her comforting words.