as in disarmament
the reduction or elimination of a country's armed forces or weapons
the demilitarization of some formerly warlike nations that occurred in the aftermath of World War II
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as in to disarm
to reduce the size and strength of the armed forces of
the two nations agreed to demilitarize themselves reciprocally in hopes of avoiding war
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Recent Examples of demilitarization
Arkansas Online, 11 Feb. 2026
Ike, always comprehensive in vision, also achieved the demilitarization of Antarctica.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 28 Dec. 2025
The Ukrainian leader said any withdrawal of troops would have to be reciprocal, with Moscow giving up as much Ukrainian territory as that ceded by Kyiv and those pockets of the Donbas becoming demilitarized as a result.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demilitarization
Noun
Israel and Hamas remain divided over the timeline and scope of Israel's withdrawal and the demilitarization of the enclave after nearly two decades of Hamas rule.
—Arkansas Online, 11 Feb. 2026
Ike, always comprehensive in vision, also achieved the demilitarization of Antarctica.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
Zelensky has said that Ukrainian forces would be willing to leave the eastern part of the country if Russian troops also withdraw and the area becomes demilitarized, with an international coalition monitoring the region.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 28 Dec. 2025
The Ukrainian leader said any withdrawal of troops would have to be reciprocal, with Moscow giving up as much Ukrainian territory as that ceded by Kyiv and those pockets of the Donbas becoming demilitarized as a result.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demilitarization
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demilitarization
Noun
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Key stipulations of the agreement remain unmet, including the disarmament of Hamas, the deployment of an international stabilization force and Israel’s withdrawal from the half of the territory its troops still control.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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The main sticking point remains Hamas’ disarmament.—
Matt Bradley,
NBC news,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When asked about disarming, al-Hayya said Hamas would be ready to discuss the second phase of the ceasefire agreement only after Israel fulfills the first phase, which includes a cessation of hostilities and a surge in humanitarian aid.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Israel is preventing major rehabilitation efforts until Hamas is disarmed.—
Anas Baba,
NPR,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Since then all Illinois National Guard troops have been demobilized and sent back to their original assignments.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
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Rattling off the potential for irreparable harm, the attorney said that demobilizing the project and then restarting it would significantly delay the overall timeline of the critical infrastructure project, or even torpedo the whole thing.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demilitarization.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demilitarization. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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