weaponize

verb

weap·​on·​ize ˈwe-pə-ˌnīz How to pronounce weaponize (audio)
weaponized; weaponizing

transitive verb

: 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
weaponization noun

Examples of weaponize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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At the same time, security experts said, the concerns around Mythos attest to the dangers of AI if it is weaponized for harm. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026 In the first shooting, Homeland Security officials accused a man of weaponizing his car and ramming a law enforcement vehicle in an attempt to flee. Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026 The two-episode premiere ends with The Boys facing a tough moral decision about whether to weaponize the virus — and Homelander is down an ally (and father figure) with Soldier Boy hospitalized. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026 Logan Graham, who leads offensive cyber research at Anthropic, said the Mythos Preview model was advanced enough not only to identify undiscovered software vulnerabilities but also to weaponize them. Kevin Collier, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for weaponize

Word History

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of weaponize was in 1957

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Cite this Entry

“Weaponize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weaponize. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.

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