squelch

UK: /ˈskwɛltʃ/ US: /skwɛltʃ/ ,(skwelch)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

squelch /skwɛltʃ/   v. 

1. to suppress or silence, as with force or a crushing response:
   [~ + object] The dictator squelched all opposition.
2. to make a splashing sound, as by walking heavily in mud:
   [no object] We could hear his boots squelching in the mud.

n. [countable]

3. an act of squelching.
4. a squelching sound.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

squelch (skwelch),  v.t. 

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.

v.i. 

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

n. 

5. a squelched or crushed mass of anything.
6. a splashing sound.
7. an act of squelching or suppressing, as by a crushing retort or argument.
8. Electronics Also called squelch′ cir′cuit, noise suppressor. 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.

• 1610–20; variant of quelch in same sense (perh. blend of, blended quell and quash); initial s perh. from squash¹

squelch′er, n. 
squelch′ing•ly, adv. 
squelch′ing•ness, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

squelch / skwɛltʃ/ verb

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

noun

1. a squelching sound
2. something that has been squelched
3. a crushing remark

Etymology: 17th Century: of imitative origin

ˈsquelcher noun

ˈsquelchy adjective