defuse
Americanverb (used with object)
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to remove the fuze from (a bomb, mine, etc.).
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to make less dangerous, tense, or embarrassing.
to defuse a potentially ugly situation.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to remove the triggering device of (a bomb, etc)
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to remove the cause of tension from (a crisis, etc)
Commonly Confused
See diffuse
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of defuse
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.
To defuse the outcry, the FDA last fall agreed to reconsider the drug.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
US President Donald Trump frequently refers to Munir as his "favourite field marshal", after a rapport built during US efforts to defuse a short but intense armed conflict between Pakistan and rival India last year.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
Ritchson, according to the source, attempted to defuse the situation after Taylor allegedly dared him to get physical.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026
Trump has since said he is seeking "immediate negotiations" to find a compromise and further defuse the row.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
It was clear that someone else—probably Johanna—had written the statement and that he had been compelled to read it to defuse the situation.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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.
