defuse
verb
Did you know?
defuse or diffuse?
Many people find it difficult to remember the difference between defuse and diffuse, and when faced with the need for one of these words simply grab whichever one first comes to mind. But it needn’t be this way: the meanings of these two are quite a bit different, and there is a simple way to differentiate between them. Defuse is formed by adding the prefix de- to the word fuse; you are removing the fuse (either literally or figuratively) when you defuse a situation, much as defanging something entails removing the fangs. Diffuse, when used as a verb, tends to carry meanings such as “spread” or “scatter.” Additionally, diffuse is the only one which may be found used as an adjective.
Examples of defuse in a Sentence
Munir Ahmed, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called officials in India and Pakistan in a push to defuse the escalating crisis between the neighboring countries after the deadly attack in Kashmir last week.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 1 May 2025
With the stakes appearing to grow higher by the hour, Sheikh argued that the Trump administration would need to pursue a more comprehensive and sustained initiative than witnessed in past U.S. attempts to defuse crises that have erupted between the two South Asian archrivals.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
Trump could begin orchestrating a new trade deal while also trying to defuse the emerging nuclear weapons rivalry.
—J. Tedford Tyler, Time, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for defuse
Cite this Entry
“Defuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defuse. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share