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defuse

Pronunciation: /diːˈfjuːz/

Translate defuse | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish

Definition of defuse

verb

[with object]

remove the fuse from (an explosive device) in order to prevent it from exploding: explosives specialists tried to defuse the grenade
make (a situation) less tense or dangerous:a scheme that teaches officers how to defuse potentially explosive situations

On the potential confusion between defuse and diffuse, see diffuse (usage).