defuse
verb
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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
Mathieu Droin, Foreign Affairs, 8 July 2024
For much of this year, Roberts and the justices succeeded in defusing partisan splits with narrow or procedural rulings.
—David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2024
Authorities swiftly arrested General Zúñiga as his soldiers retreated from central La Paz, crushing the apparent coup attempt and defusing the latest crisis in a country wracked by a bitter political rivalry and economic crisis.
—Paola Flores and Isabel Debre, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 June 2024
But the bomb was defused this week by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who visited Washington for talks that both Israeli and American officials told me resolved the problem.
—David Ignatius, Washington Post, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for defuse 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defuse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Defuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defuse. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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