quash
- 01 C1 Advanced
to stop something by force, such as a protest, a rebellion, or a rumour.
to suppress or extinguish something completely, typically by force or authority.
Simple“The government moved quickly to quash the rumours before they caused a panic.”
In context“The administration attempted to quash the growing rebellion by imposing a strict curfew and limiting public gatherings.”
UsageOften used with abstract nouns like 'rumours', 'hopes', or 'rebellion'.
- 02 C1 Advanced
to officially state that a legal decision or document is no longer valid.
to set aside or annul a legal proceeding, subpoena, or conviction.
Simple“The judge decided to quash the conviction after new evidence was found.”
In context“The high court moved to quash the subpoena, ruling that the requested documents were protected by attorney-client privilege.”
UsageTakes a direct object, typically a legal instrument like a 'conviction', 'verdict', or 'subpoena'.
“Production had been approved by the previous Conservative government, but those decisions were quashed after a legal challenge by Greenpeace, leaving Labour ministers to decide whether drilling should go ahead.”
“However, those decisions were quashed after a legal challenge from the campaign group Greenpeace, pending more detailed climate assessments.”
From Middle English quaschen, quasshen, cwessen, quassen, from Old French quasser, from Latin quassāre, under the influence of cassō (“to annul”), from Latin quatiō (“I shake”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₁t- (“to shake”) (same root for the English words: pasta, paste, pastiche, pastry). Cognate with Dutch kwetsen (“to hurt, injure”), German quetschen (“to crush, squash”), Spanish quejar (“to complain”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.