disarm

verb

dis·arm | \ dis-ˈärm

, diz-, ˈdis-ˌärm\

disarmed; disarming; disarms

Definition of disarm

transitive verb

1a : to deprive of means, reason, or disposition to be hostile disarmed criticism by admitting her errors

b : to win over

2a : to divest of arms disarm captured troops

b : to deprive of a means of attack or defense disarm a ship

c : to make harmless disarm a bomb

intransitive verb

1 : to lay aside arms

2 : to give up or reduce armed forces

Other Words from disarm Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about disarm

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms & Antonyms for disarm

Synonyms

demilitarize

Antonyms

arm, militarize

Examples of disarm in a Sentence

The government has been unsuccessful at disarming the rebels. The terrorists have refused to disarm. It took more than an hour to disarm the bomb.

Recent Examples on the Web

The latest email to subscribers is a mind-boggling attempt to disarm and placate them with a puppy. — Tasha Robinson, The Verge, "MoviePass is staffed by dogs now, apparently," 8 Nov. 2018 Researchers would need different strains of these microgourmands to disarm and digest all relevant antibiotics, not just penicillin. — Jonathon Keats, Discover Magazine, "Bacteria That Eat Drugs Could Help Solve the Antibiotic Resistance Crisis," 8 Nov. 2018 The extra pressure comes even as President Donald Trump prepares for a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to persuade him to disarm. — Matthew Pennington, The Seattle Times, "US sanctions Singapore companies over North Korea dealings," 25 Oct. 2018 March 13, Seaside High School in Seaside, Calif. A teacher accidentally fired a handgun in class while demonstrating how to disarm someone, injuring three students. — Josh Magness And Scott Berson, star-telegram, "How many school shootings have there been since Parkland? It depends. | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 18 May 2018 According to police, witnesses at the scene of Sunday night's attacks in the northeast 19th district helped disarm and arrest the man near a cinema in a recreational area populated by both Parisians and tourists. — Sylvie Corbet, Fox News, "Petanque players in Paris praised for stopping knife attack," 10 Sep. 2018 According to police, witnesses at the scene of Sunday night’s attacks in the northeast 19th district helped disarm and arrest the man near a cinema in a recreational area populated by both Parisians and tourists. — Sylvie Corbet, The Seattle Times, "Petanque players in Paris praised for stopping knife attack," 10 Sep. 2018 A week later, a 17-year-old student at Santa Fe high school in Texas opened fire on his classmates, killing 10 people, including a teacher and a foreign-exchange student, before he was apprehended and disarmed by school safety officers. — Belinda Luscombe, Time, "The U.S. and Australia Had Mass Shootings One Week Apart. There Was a Crucial Difference in How They Responded," 23 May 2018 Israel argues that Hamas could have ended the suffering of Gaza's 2 million people by disarming and renouncing violence. — Saphora Smith, NBC News, "Ten Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in latest Gaza protests, officials say," 7 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disarm.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.