Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To remove the fangs of (a snake, for example).
- transitive verb To undermine the strength or power of; make ineffectual.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive To remove the
fangs from (something). - verb figuratively To render harmless.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb remove the fangs from
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word defang.
Examples
-
During the early meetings, the president's inner circle outlined an elaborate effort to "defang" the opposition.
Barack Obama, Campaign Manager: How The 2008 Playbook Passed Health Care 2010
-
The White House has given Israel time to "defang" Hezbollah and is oddly silent as the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon grows.
Think Progress » Kristol Suggests People of Iran Would Embrace U.S. Attack, Triggering Regime Change 2006
-
US trying to 'defang' Pak army to make it impotent against India: Ex-Pak minister
Gaea Times (by Simple Thoughts) Breaking News and incisive views 24/7 2009
-
US tried to "defang" Russia in the 90-ies, with a result that extremely pro-West and pro-american Russian attitude of early 90-ies morphed into a current deep distrust.
Pajamas Media 2009
-
NEW YORK - A former Pakistan minister has criticized the Gilani Government for agreeing to the terms and conditions attached with the Kerry-Lugar Bill, saying the United States is trying to 'defang' the country and destroy the armed forces.
Gaea Times (by Simple Thoughts) Breaking News and incisive views 24/7 2009
-
If there were any lingering doubts about the need to defang public-sector unions, the latest effort by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees to bully small businesses in Wisconsin ought to put them all to rest " Wisconsin Unions Get Ugly ," Review & Outlook, April 1.
-
Elizabeth Warren, the Harvard law professor charged with implementing the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, spoke out today against efforts to defang the new agency amid reports that Congressional foes plan to cut its budget by 40 percent.
Elizabeth Warren: Cuts to CFPB budget would be a big mistake 2011
-
Other easy fixes included using power meters to find and defang energy-wasting "vampire" appliances, changing a refrigerator door gasket, tuning up your heating system, and fixing leaky ductwork.
-
But we could also argue that the act of portraying the high priest of the Old Ones in such cutesy-kitschy form represents an attempt to tame, defang, and neuter the shrieking horror of our plight instead of gleefully accepting it.
Archive 2010-03-01 2010
-
But we could also argue that the act of portraying the high priest of the Old Ones in such cutesy-kitschy form represents an attempt to tame, defang, and neuter the shrieking horror of our plight instead of gleefully accepting it.
Dark Awakenings and Cosmic Horror : The Lovecraft News Network 2010
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.