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
Kurt's key takeaways Virtual kidnapping scams show how quickly personal photos can be weaponized.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Dec. 2025
Her Grimm retelling swaps glass slippers for broken noses, tapeworms, and eyelash surgery from hell — weaponizing the inevitability of a storybook to skewer beauty standards as a real social contract.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2025
The probe from House Republicans comes as the president and his allies have continued to accuse the Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Biden administration of weaponizing the legal system against political foes.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2025
After the Spike skirts these questions, even as the authors clearly recognize that their logic could be weaponized to justify all sorts of practices, including those that roll back individual rights by restricting access to contraception or by limiting education about reproduction and childbirth.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
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Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Dec. 2025
Her Grimm retelling swaps glass slippers for broken noses, tapeworms, and eyelash surgery from hell — weaponizing the inevitability of a storybook to skewer beauty standards as a real social contract.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2025
The probe from House Republicans comes as the president and his allies have continued to accuse the Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Biden administration of weaponizing the legal system against political foes.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2025
After the Spike skirts these questions, even as the authors clearly recognize that their logic could be weaponized to justify all sorts of practices, including those that roll back individual rights by restricting access to contraception or by limiting education about reproduction and childbirth.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for weaponize
Cite this Entry
“Weaponize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weaponize. Accessed 24 Dec. 2025.
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