defund

verb

de·​fund (ˌ)dē-ˈfənd How to pronounce defund (audio)
defunded; defunding; defunds

transitive verb

: to withdraw funding from

Examples of defund in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The House Freedom Caucus demanded an array of concessions in exchange for backing him, including restoration of what is known as the Holman Rule, which allows lawmakers to use spending bills to defund specific programs and fire federal officials or reduce their pay. Robert Jimison, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023 In Congress, 14 Texas Republicans urged colleagues Thursday to defund the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Border Patrol, Secret Service and Coast Guard, on grounds the agency tasked with securing the border hasn’t done a good enough job. Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 10 Aug. 2023 Dana Taylor: Was the momentum behind Black Lives Matter squandered on all or nothing propositions like defund the police? Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 4 Sep. 2023 The societal decay of our cities is the result of progressive policies, including efforts to defund the police. WSJ, 24 July 2023 Calls to defund the FBI Democrats on the committee asked Garland about the impact of threats to federal agents and calls from some Republican lawmakers and presidential candidates to defund the FBI. Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2023 In return, lawmakers and the governor agreed to rework AB 257 and defund the revival of the Industrial Welfare Commission, which was set to convene in January. Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023 Others are using this case as another reason to defund the police. Gabrielle M. Etzel, Washington Examiner, 21 July 2023 There wasn't another shutdown until 2013, when Republicans used budget negotiations to try to defund the Affordable Care Act. Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defund.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of defund was in 1948

Dictionary Entries Near defund

Cite this Entry

“Defund.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defund. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.

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