defuse

or de·fuze

[ dee-fyooz ]

/ diˈfyuz /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR defuse ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), de·fused, de·fus·ing.

to remove the fuze from (a bomb, mine, etc.).

to make less dangerous, tense, or embarrassing: to defuse a potentially ugly situation.

verb (used without object), de·fused, de·fus·ing.

to grow less dangerous; weaken.

Nearby words

defs., deft, defunct, defunctive, defund, defuse, defusion, defuze, defy, deg, deg.

Origin of defuse

First recorded in 1940–45; de- + fuse¹

Related formsde·fus·er, noun

Can be confuseddefuse diffuse

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for defuse

But they still could have done more to defuse the calls for violence from their allies.
De Blasio and the New York City Protesters Have No Blood on Their Hands|Jacob Siegel|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Principle-based decision making could boost perceived integrity and defuse an overly personalized DC political climate.
What Hockey Players Can Teach our Toothless Politicians|Dave Maney|April 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One possible way to defuse the financial incentives and advantages to doping is to legalize it.
Maybe We Should Just Legalize Steroids for Pro Athletes|Robert Silverman|March 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On Monday night the contours of a deal to defuse the ticking fiscal bomb emerged in the Senate.
A Debt Deal Won’t Save Us|Daniel Gross|October 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Obama has failed to defuse Republican opposition or devise a long-term plan.
What the Rest of the World Thinks of America’s Shutdown||October 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
So we had our people in Gdynia defuse the thing after it was put on board the ship, but otherwise leave it entirely alone.
One-Shot|James Benjamin Blish
At one base I was waiting when they wheeled in a stretcher with the remains of an Englishman who had been trying to defuse a bomb.
The Biography of a Rabbit|Roy Benson

British Dictionary definitions for defuse

defuse

sometimes US defuze

/ (diːˈfjuːz) /

verb (tr)

to remove the triggering device of (a bomb, etc)

to remove the cause of tension from (a crisis, etc)

confusable

Avoid confusion with diffuse

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for defuse

defuse

1943, from de- + fuse. Related: Defused; defusing.

defuse

or de·fuze

verb (used with object), de·fused, de·fus·ing.

verb (used without object), de·fused, de·fus·ing.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of defuse

Examples from the Web for defuse

British Dictionary definitions for defuse

defuse

sometimes US defuze

verb (tr)

confusable

Word Origin and History for defuse

defuse