neutralize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make neutral; cause to undergo neutralization.
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to make (something) ineffective; counteract; nullify.
carelessness that neutralized our efforts.
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Military. to put out of action or make incapable of action.
to neutralize an enemy position.
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to declare neutral; invest with neutrality in order to exempt from involvement during a war.
to neutralize a city to prevent bombing.
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to add an acid to a basic solution or a base to an acidic solution until the resulting solution is chemically neutral (pH = 7).
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Electricity. to render electrically or magnetically neutral.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(also intr) to render or become ineffective or neutral by counteracting, mixing, etc; nullify
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(also intr) to make or become electrically or chemically neutral
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to exclude (a country) from the sphere of warfare or alliances by international agreement
the great powers neutralized Belgium in the 19th century
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to render (an army) incapable of further military action
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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neutralizesimple
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neutralizessimple
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have neutralizedperfect
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has neutralizedperfect
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am neutralizingprogressive
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are neutralizingprogressive
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is neutralizingprogressive
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have been neutralizingperfect progressive
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has been neutralizingperfect progressive
Past
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neutralizedsimple
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had neutralizedperfect
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was neutralizingprogressive
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were neutralizingprogressive
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had been neutralizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of neutralize
Explanation
When you neutralize something, you make it harmless or ineffective — usually by applying its opposite force, like pouring water on a fire. The world neutral was first used to describe a country that doesn’t take sides in a war, like Switzerland. There’s something kind of noble about a country that doesn’t participate in war by choice, but when we say something has been neutralized — that usually means that its power has been taken away from the outside.
Vocabulary lists containing neutralize
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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Code Talker
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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.
He added the agreement allows Israel freedom of action to neutralize what it deems as immediate or even emerging threats.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026
On-screen footage shows UFC fighter Michael Chandler explaining to an FBI agent how to neutralize an armed assailant with hand-to-hand combat.
From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026
Firefighters said the tank had an inoperable valve, preventing authorities from offloading material inside and injecting chemicals to neutralize the contents.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
However, Zeldin said "the most likely scenario is one of a low-volume release, where the local authorities are going to be able to monitor, neutralize and contain the threat."
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
While Snake dealt with the alarm, Fox and Eagle prepared to neutralize the trip wire, unclipping an electronic circuit board and a variety of tools from their belts.
From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz
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.
