as in to demilitarize
to release (someone or something) from military service
Both leaders agreed to demobilize their armies and sign the peace treaty. Ships returned to port to be demobilized.
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Recent Examples of demobilize
Rattling off the potential for irreparable harm, the attorney said that demobilizing the project and then restarting it would significantly delay the overall timeline of the critical infrastructure project, or even torpedo the whole thing.
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Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
The city coordinates with community partners like Jericho Way to ensure transportation and shelter for homeless residents during periods when the city's temporary emergency shelter is demobilized.
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Bill Bowden,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Analysts note that Syria’s security environment remains shaped by former jihadist networks that were never fully demobilized after the war.
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Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
31 Dec. 2025
In the 1970s, the Soviet Union enjoyed an advantageous shift in nuclear and conventional capabilities relative to the United States, which was demobilizing after the Vietnam War.
—
Caleb Pomeroy,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demobilize
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
The city coordinates with community partners like Jericho Way to ensure transportation and shelter for homeless residents during periods when the city's temporary emergency shelter is demobilized.
—
Bill Bowden,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Analysts note that Syria’s security environment remains shaped by former jihadist networks that were never fully demobilized after the war.
—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
31 Dec. 2025
In the 1970s, the Soviet Union enjoyed an advantageous shift in nuclear and conventional capabilities relative to the United States, which was demobilizing after the Vietnam War.
—
Caleb Pomeroy,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demobilize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demobilize
Verb
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Even during the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union worked together on a wide range of issues, including a joint effort to spearhead the Antarctic Treaty, which has kept Antarctica demilitarized and facilitated scientific advancements at the Earth’s other pole.
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Under the 1979 treaty, the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula bordering southern Israel was largely demilitarized.
Verb
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Speaking at a ruling party congress last month, Kim laid out his vision for more nuclear development, while urging the US to drop its longstanding demand that his country denuclearize before any dialogue can resume.
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North Korea doesn't appear to have any intention of denuclearizing, said Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a professor in international relations at King's College London.
Verb
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As a result, Skywalkers hovers between a sense of constant performance and disarming immediacy — the latter generally during the many vertigo-inducing drone shots of Ivan and Angela’s hair-raising accomplishments.
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In that process, the Irish Republican Army and its allies disarmed more than seven years after the 1998 signing of the Good Friday Agreement.
Cite this Entry
“Demobilize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demobilize. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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