defuse

American

[dee-fyooz] / diˈfyuz /

Or defuze

verb (used with object)

defused, defusing

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)

defused, defusing

to grow less dangerous; weaken.

defuse British

/ diːˈfjuːz /

verb

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

"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

Commonly Confused

See diffuse

Other Word Forms

defuser noun

Etymology

Origin of defuse

First recorded in 1940–45; de- + fuse ¹

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.

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

It is not clear how long it will take to defuse the bomb.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

If these megacap IPOs don’t come to market, it would defuse Grantham’s bearish prediction — and might even be bullish.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 17, 2026

Regional players have pushed for diplomacy to defuse tensions.

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

We tried to defuse the tension, to talk about it without really talking about it, to joke-ify it.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023