defang

verb

de·​fang (ˌ)dē-ˈfaŋ 

defanged; defanging; defangs

transitive verb

: to make harmless or less powerful

Examples of defang in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Right-of-center nonprofit experts previously told the Washington Examiner that the organizational change could functionally be a simple rebrand, allowing Arabella to shed the toxic branding and defang GOP legal attacks given its new name and structure. —Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 1 Jan. 2026

Where to watch The Terminator: Netflix Filmed before self-awareness defanged much of '50s sci-fi genre, Them! —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Jan. 2026

That’s due in large part, experts say, to the regulator having been essentially defanged about 30 years ago, creating what would become the Wild West of dietary supplements. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025

Defense lobbying groups, though, have made a push to defang the repairability provision of the bill in favor of the House’s data-as-a-service tweak. —Boone Ashworth, Wired News, 26 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for defang

• harangue
• orang
• bang
• chuang
• clang
• dang
• drang
• fang
• gang
• gangue
• hang
• hange