detoxify
Americanverb (used with object)
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to rid of poison or the effect of poison.
-
to treat (a person addicted to alcohol or drugs) in a detox program.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to remove poison from; detoxicate
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to treat (a person) for alcoholism or drug addiction
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of detoxify
First recorded in 1900–05; detoxi(cate) + -fy
Vocabulary lists containing detoxify
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.
Bethany Maxwell, technical officer at Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, added: "We know that primates eat soil especially to detoxify or for nutrient supplementation."
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
But he returned to the Conservative fold in 2005 to try to detoxify the Tory brand.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
Silver, for her part, argues that Meghan may be hoping to "detoxify" her brand with the new show.
From BBC • Jan. 4, 2025
"However, we found that the microbial communities within Spartina roots help to detoxify the sulfide, enhancing plant health and resilience."
From Science Daily • May 15, 2024
How flies and other insects detoxify the organic phosphorus chemicals is less clearly understood.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
