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Definition of disarmingnext
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disarming

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verb

present participle of disarm
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as in demilitarizing
to reduce the size and strength of the armed forces of the defeated nation was disarmed so that it would never again be a threat to international order

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disarming
Adjective
This will be both disarming and believable, allowing your daughter to propose times that are both far off and inconvenient. Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2022 What follows instead is a pivotal listen that conveys trauma in an assured yet disarming way. Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 8 Dec. 2021 Then check out the work of Danielle Perez, who delivers jokes about the heaviest of subjects with a breezy openness that’s totally disarming. Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2021 Garments can be gorgeous, disarming, and take your breath away. BostonGlobe.com, 15 Oct. 2021 These are the results when officers choose to draw their most disarming weapon: compassion. Steve Hartman, CBS News, 6 June 2021
Verb
Since then, Theroux’s body of work has gained a wider, younger audience who appreciate him as a uniquely empathetic interviewer capable of disarming subjects who others can’t crack. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026 As the embodiment of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Monroe continues to captivate the world, and her aura manages to shine through these pages — disarming you with that megawatt smile. Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 17 Mar. 2026 Mills gives off the disarming sense of a secure soul undeterred by whippersnappers who toss around fancy words such as gerontocracy. Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026 But the sheer relentlessness of its joke-cracking bodes well for future, riskier enterprises — as, for that matter, does the natural spark between Matarazzo’s repeatedly foiled would-be swagger and Giambrone’s disarming mama’s-boy act. Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026 The Admiral Schley’s High Ball is a lovely and disarming drink, the bright fruit of the pineapple teasing out the honeyed brightness of the dessert wine, with the mild oak from the Irish Whiskey providing structure, a kind of a gentle but present backbone. Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2026 Meanwhile, Israel has also been relentlessly bombing Lebanon, with the intention of disarming or wiping out Hezbollah, a paramilitary group backed by Iran which fired rockets at Israel earlier in the war. Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2026 Then Mirkovic has a way of disarming him with his grin and his wit. Cj Moore, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026 Even if Project Hail Mary at times leans into the sentiment to an almost saccharine degree, the movie’s natural sweetness is disarming. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disarming
Adjective
  • Read about the first-grade class that, in 1982, took a trip to tap a sugar maple, boil the sap, and share some adorable moments.
    Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Bolstered by fuzzy electric guitars, the song also provides the perfect moment for TWS to show off their aegyo — a quintessentially South Korean gesture of acting adorable that doesn’t always translate well overseas.
    Jae-Ha Kim, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • My experience Sorce is nestled off of East Seventh Street in an unassuming, yet undeniably charming building.
    Samantha Husted, Charlotte Observer, 27 Mar. 2026
  • And best of all, in my opinion, the old Writers Bar, which was barely a bar at all and hardly worth writing about, has been shifted to the front of the main building, greatly expanded and transformed into one of the most charming bars in a city that is full of charming bars.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Chait adopted a conciliatory tone, addressing union leaders — who were not present.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
  • Anthropic appears to be trying to cool the tensions with the Pentagon, with Amodei striking a more conciliatory note in the most recent statement.
    Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Reopening borders is among the challenging issues on the agenda for the phase now underway, which also includes demilitarizing the strip after nearly two decades of Hamas rule and installing a new government to oversee reconstruction.
    CBS News, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Other challenging issues include demilitarizing the strip after nearly two decades of Hamas rule and installing a new government to oversee reconstruction.
    Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, publicly acknowledged discussions between the two governments last week and pledged a series of reforms aimed at appeasing Washington, a concession that indicated both the urgency of the domestic crisis and the vulnerability of the regime.
    Sarah Fitzpatrick, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026
  • But then appeasing tradition and upending it both at once, which certainly is the pragmatic philosophy of Lyric, always is a tricky matter.
    Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Fortunately for me—and for you, dear listener—Stephan Jenkins had an unexpected answer to that question.
    Outside Online, Outside Online, 25 Mar. 2026
  • These two visions are dear to us and remain relevant today.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Sweeney stars as Penny Jo, a South Dakota diner waitress with an appealing smile, an ingratiating stammer, a scarf in her hair, and deep reserves of ruthless ambition.
    Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Still, on a moment-to-moment basis, the film has tension, strong character dynamics and sharp individual portraits whose astringency gets alleviated by Gottsagen and James’ more ingratiating turns.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Rooms Stepping into a room at The Berkeley feels like the first sip of its famed afternoon tea—calming, refreshing, and instantly soothing.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Mar. 2026
  • The formula pairs propolis—known for its soothing, glow-boosting properties—with niacinamide, which helps support the skin barrier, calm visible redness, and bring out that soft, lit-from-within radiance.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 21 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Disarming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disarming. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.

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