defuse

She implemented wry wit like a tactical defense, a trusty tool in her arsenal that could disarm an opponent and defuse tricky conversations.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026

Cooper said he had to defuse that encounter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

And while I'm realistic enough to know he doesn't really hold treasured memories of our previous encounters, I'm impressed by his ability to defuse the tension of Meeting A Beatle.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

To defuse the outcry, the FDA last fall agreed to reconsider the drug.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026

I smiled and spoke as politely as I could to defuse the situation.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

He defuses them, crushing the cans and dragging them into the driveway.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2025

The songs are back, preceded by dialogue in which Guenevere preemptively defuses their sting with Sorkin-esque wit.

From New York Times ● Mar. 22, 2023

Zivic defuses the argument by suggesting Jackson toss the popcorn into his mouth.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 27, 2022

"He has got to make a clean breast. I usually find that if you make your apologies, it defuses the issue. Can't have it hanging on," said the lawmaker.

From Reuters ● Jan. 12, 2022

And although there couldn’t be a more neutral statement, it defuses any insectious worries I might have given her.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

The drone was defused by a robot at Leipzig/Halle airport and a second drone is thought to have collided with another cargo plane.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

She declined to answer questions on whether tensions had been defused with Washington.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 25, 2026

The summit will offer Brussels the chance to turn the page after a bruising transatlantic crisis over Greenland -- now seemingly defused.

From Barron's ● Jan. 24, 2026

Traders will weigh whether the risk in Iran is “genuinely defused or simply resting,” because calm in the Persian Gulf has a “habit of braking without warning,” he added.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 16, 2026

As with the spy Penkovsky before him, the information Gordievsky passed to his handlers, experts believe, may well have defused a global crisis and averted nuclear war.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Several chapters are devoted to Kip’s stories of defusing bombs and saving English lives, all aided by Lord Suffolk’s encouragement.

From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026

She has tightened drug enforcement along the border, expelled imprisoned cartel bosses wanted by the U.S. and imposed 50% tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles and other goods, defusing U.S. threats of harsher tariffs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 27, 2025

Rather than defusing tensions, the government struck again, hitting Machar with a slew of charges - including treason, the ultimate crime against the state - in September.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2025

But O’Donnell likens the dynamics of the cast at that time to a dysfunctional sisterhood, adding that Morgan defusing the situation with Bensimon felt like someone trying to comfort a sibling.

From Salon ● May 20, 2025

Since they had moved to Ravenel, Lillian had charted his moods like a cartographer, and her instinct for defusing his temper before it erupted told her this was a day for caution.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy