detoxify

[ dee-tok-suh-fahy ]

verb (used with object)

, de·tox·i·fied, de·tox·i·fy·ing.

1. to rid of poison or the effect of poison.
2. to treat (a person addicted to alcohol or drugs) in a detox program.

verb (used without object)

, de·tox·i·fied, de·tox·i·fy·ing.

1. to undergo detox or metabolic detoxification.

detoxify

/ diːˈtɒksɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to remove poison from; detoxicate
2. to treat (a person) for alcoholism or drug addiction

Derived Forms

• deˌtoxifiˈcation, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of detoxify¹

First recorded in 1900–05; detoxi(cate) + -fy

Example Sentences

While such sugary add-ons would typically help organisms detoxify chemicals and clear them from the body, the oxybenzone-sugar compound instead becomes a toxin that’s activated by light.

From Science News

Though proponents claim it’s powerfully detoxifying, those benefits have yet to be shown in clinical trials.

From Popular-Science

Henrich goes over examples where you have some process—of how to detoxify some food ingredient, say—that’s been passed down over generations and no one understands why each step is necessary.

From Nautilus

Arthur Brooks believes that the best way to detoxify American politics — maybe the only way — is with love.

From Freakonomics

They aim to force tech companies to detoxify their platforms, once and for all, and are spinning up brand-new spaces built on women-friendly principles from the start.

From MIT Technology Review

Even now, despite David Cameron's efforts to “detoxify” the Tory brand, the party only holds one Scottish seat.

From The Daily Beast