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Definition of "defuse" []

  • To remove the fuse from (an explosive device). (verb-transitive)
  • To make less dangerous, tense, or hostile: a diplomatic move that defused the international crisis. (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.

Use "defuse" in a sentence
  • "One expert who was a chemical weapons specialist with the U.S. government says malls in the U.S. and elsewhere are susceptible to what he calls a defuse threat."
  • "Likewise a vague mention of a 'truth and reconciliation commission' for Balochistan will not in the short-term defuse the situation unless practical and tangible confidence-building measures are taken to assuage the angry Baloch."
  • "Renewing Google's license "was a smart move on the part of the Chinese government to kind of defuse the situation," said Paul Denlinger, an Internet consultant for startups."