detoxify

[ dee-tok-suh-fahy ]

/ diˈtɒk sə faɪ /

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verb (used with object), de·tox·i·fied, de·tox·i·fy·ing.

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), de·tox·i·fied, de·tox·i·fy·ing.

to undergo detox or metabolic detoxification.

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Origin of detoxify

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

Words nearby detoxify

detour, detox, detoxicate, detoxification, detoxification centre, detoxify, DETR, detract, detraction, detractive, detractor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use detoxify in a sentence

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.
How some sunscreens damage coral reefs|Erin Garcia de Jesús|May 5, 2022|Science News
Though proponents claim it’s powerfully detoxifying, those benefits have yet to be shown in clinical trials.
The truth about oil pulling, apple cider vinegar, and other trendy cleanses|Erin Blakemore|January 26, 2022|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.
Steven Pinker Has His Reasons - Issue 108: Change|Brian Gallagher|November 17, 2021|Nautilus
Arthur Brooks believes that the best way to detoxify American politics — maybe the only way — is with love.
How Can We Break Our Addiction to Contempt? (Ep. 478)|Stephen J. Dubner|October 14, 2021|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.
A feminist internet would be better for everyone|Emily Luong|April 1, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Even now, despite David Cameron's efforts to “detoxify” the Tory brand, the party only holds one Scottish seat.
A Stand-Alone Scotland|Alex Massie|January 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for detoxify

detoxify

/ (diːˈtɒksɪˌfaɪ) /

verb -fies, -fying or -fied (tr)

to remove poison from; detoxicate

to treat (a person) for alcoholism or drug addiction

Derived forms of detoxify

detoxification, noun

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