defuse
verb (used with object)
to remove the fuze from (a bomb, mine, etc.).
had defused
-
past perfectof defuse.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the international community had "defused a floating time bomb and prevented a potentially enormous environmental and health disaster".
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2023
Mr. Imus had defused similar situations in the past by apologizing.
From New York Times ● Oct. 14, 2022
In December that year, Iran’s telecommunications ministry said the country had defused a massive cyberattack on unspecified “electronic infrastructure” but provided no specifics on the purported attack.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 9, 2021
A carefully structured peace deal that ended the most recent war in 2005 had defused many of those tensions, creating an ethnic balance across the military, government and even state-owned firms.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 10, 2016
For a brief moment, Tanaka dared hope that his agreement to meet with Thailand's powerful student leaders had defused plans for mass demonstrations.
From Time Magazine Archive
