Definition of "defang" [defang]

• To remove the fangs of (a snake, for example). (verb-transitive)
• To undermine the strength or power of; make ineffectual: an attempt to defang the opposition. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "During the early meetings, the president's inner circle outlined an elaborate effort to "defang" the opposition."
• "The White House has given Israel time to "defang" Hezbollah and is oddly silent as the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon grows."
• "NEW YORK - A former Pakistan minister has criticized the Gilani Government for agreeing to the terms and conditions attached with the Kerry-Lugar Bill, saying the United States is trying to 'defang' the country and destroy the armed forces."