weaponize
verb
weap·on·ize
ˈwe-pə-ˌnīz 
weaponized; weaponizing
: to adapt for use as a weapon of war
—often used figuratively
… the ways people weaponize fear in order to hide their own.—
Justin Chang
Justin ChangExamples of weaponize in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Here in California, the oil industry is trying to weaponize that crisis to push through self-serving measures.
—Ryan Cummings, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
Then, as now, those financially required to work for a living actually create the wealth, and the nobility hoard and ultimately weaponize it.
—Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Those who’ve been targeted and their allies view the practice as both a pressure tactic in which reputational sabotage is weaponized, as well as a subversion of the legal process itself.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
For investigators, the broader concern is that Russia’s war effort may now depend in part on a transnational manpower pipeline that weaponizes global inequality, drawing economically desperate men from around the world into one of Europe’s deadliest conflicts.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for weaponize
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Ryan Cummings, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
Then, as now, those financially required to work for a living actually create the wealth, and the nobility hoard and ultimately weaponize it.
—Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Those who’ve been targeted and their allies view the practice as both a pressure tactic in which reputational sabotage is weaponized, as well as a subversion of the legal process itself.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
For investigators, the broader concern is that Russia’s war effort may now depend in part on a transnational manpower pipeline that weaponizes global inequality, drawing economically desperate men from around the world into one of Europe’s deadliest conflicts.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for weaponize
Cite this Entry
“Weaponize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weaponize. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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