Defuse

//diːˈfjuːz// verb

verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To remove the fuse from (e.g. a bomb). transitive

    "Shepard: I wear a lot of hats, Mr. Vargas. Some days I shut down criminals. Some days I defuse nukes. Some days I like to enjoy private vices. You understand me?"

  2. 2
    To disorder; to make shapeless. obsolete

    "If but as well I other accents borrow / That can my speech defuse,"

  3. 3
    remove the triggering device from wordnet
  4. 4
    To make less dangerous, tense, or hostile. figuratively, transitive

    "to defuse a hostage situation"

Synonyms

All synonyms
allayappeasecalmconciliatecooldulcify

Example

More examples

"In conclusion, Ahn, it very much falls to you and me to set the tone for the work environment. I will do my bit to defuse the present climate and crack on with the job at hand. I hope I can rely on your support for this."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From de- + fuse.

Etymology 2

Compare diffuse.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.