sanitize

verb

san·i·tize | \ˈsa-nə-ˌtīz

sanitized; sanitizing

Definition of sanitize

transitive verb

1 : to make sanitary (as by cleaning or sterilizing)

2 : to make more acceptable by removing unpleasant or undesired features attempts to sanitize historical accounts

Other Words from sanitize More Example Sentences Learn More about sanitize

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Examples of sanitize in a Sentence

The housekeeping staff sanitized the bathroom. They're trying to sanitize the news.

Recent Examples on the Web

Microsoft’s Bing search engine still sanitizes Chinese language search results, nearly a decade after The New York Times first reported on it. — Shannon Liao, The Verge, "China is making the internet less free, and US tech companies are helping," 2 Nov. 2018 First, to create the lactic acid sourness, Spangalang boils the wort (unfermented liquid with sugars from the barley) for just 10 minutes to sanitize it. — Matt Allyn, Popular Mechanics, "How The Perfect Pickle Beer Is Made," 18 Oct. 2016 Instead, Letts boils it down to the bare-bones, sanitized version that separating parents tend to give their children. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Mary Page Marlowe': Theater Review," 13 July 2018 Employee washed cleaver and cutting board without sanitizing. — Lorraine Longhi, azcentral, "Restaurant inspections: Chinese restaurant tops list with 12 violations for the week," 30 May 2018 Kitty’s has been ordered to clean and sanitize its facility. — Sophia Eppolito, BostonGlobe.com, "North Reading restaurant closes after salmonella outbreak sickens up to 39 people," 10 July 2018 But content to be yet another great-man biopic, the movie would rather sanitize than probe. — Edouard Deluc, New York Times, "Review: ‘Gauguin: Voyage to Tahiti’ Doesn’t Make Much of a (Post-) Impression," 10 July 2018 The facts behind Thanksgiving, chattel slavery, the civil war, internment camps, mass incarceration, and even the national anthem are all sanitized for over-the-counter consumption, available in chewable vitamin form at a drugstore near you. — Vic Mensa, Teen Vogue, "Vic Mensa: Don't Ask Me to Love America When It Doesn't Love Me," 4 July 2018 Do not use equipment/utensils not properly sanitized. — David J. Neal, miamiherald, "Roaches in oven, sewage on floor, flies in the fries. These restaurants are in trouble," 21 June 2018

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