defund
Americanverb (used with object)
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to withdraw financial support from, especially as an instrument of legislative control.
Many university programs were defunded by the recent government cutbacks.
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to deplete the financial resources of.
The cost of the lawsuit defunded the company's operating budget.
Etymology
Origin of defund
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.
“I am not running to defund the police,” Mamdani said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025
It is not yet clear whether Zohar has the authority to defund the awards, according to local media.
From BBC • Sep. 17, 2025
“I am not defunding the police. I am not running to defund the police,” Mamdani said.
From Salon • Jul. 31, 2025
“Whether you like them or not, whether you want to defund them or not, you cannot put their lives in jeopardy,” McNicholas said.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2024
Kildee noted that police protected him that day in a debate against his opponent, Republican Paul Junge, as he spoke about his opposition to efforts to defund law enforcement.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 28, 2022
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.
