defuse

verb

de·​fuse (ˌ)dē-ˈfyüz 

defused; defusing; defuses

transitive verb

1

: to remove the fuse from (a mine, a bomb. etc.)

2

: to make less harmful, potent, or tense

defuse a crisis

Did you know?

defuse or diffuse?

Many people find it difficult to remember the difference between defuse and diffuse, and when faced with the need for one of these words simply grab whichever one first comes to mind. But it needn’t be this way: the meanings of these two are quite a bit different, and there is a simple way to differentiate between them. Defuse is formed by adding the prefix de- to the word fuse; you are removing the fuse (either literally or figuratively) when you defuse a situation, much as defanging something entails removing the fangs. Diffuse, when used as a verb, tends to carry meanings such as “spread” or “scatter.” Additionally, diffuse is the only one which may be found used as an adjective.

Examples of defuse in a Sentence

Skilled negotiators helped defuse the crisis.

Recent Examples on the Web

Four helicopters will monitor the sky, with officers trained in tracking and defusing drones. —Ségolène Le Stradic, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2024

United Methodist delegates have overwhelmingly endorsed a constitutional amendment seen by advocates as a way of defusing debates over the role of LGBTQ people in the church by giving rule-making autonomy to each region of the international church. —CBS News, 26 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined at sense 1