defuse









defuse


verb (used with object), de·fused, de·fus·ing.

  1. to remove the fuze from (a bomb, mine, etc.).
  2. to make less dangerous, tense, or embarrassing: to defuse a potentially ugly situation.

verb (used without object), de·fused, de·fus·ing.

  1. to grow less dangerous; weaken.

verb (tr)

  1. to remove the triggering device of (a bomb, etc)
  2. to remove the cause of tension from (a crisis, etc)
v.

1943, from de- + fuse. Related: Defused; defusing.

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