Meaning & use
defanged
Last updated
Deprived of the means to cause harm or inspire fear; made harmless, often by removing power or teeth (literal or figurative).
See it in a sentence
The new regulations effectively defanged the once-powerful union.
Zookeepers defanged the snake before allowing visitors to handle it.
A note on using this word
Literally means removing an animal's fangs, but is used overwhelmingly today in political and business writing to mean 'stripped of power.'
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