Meaning & use
neutralize
To counteract or cancel out the effect of something, making it harmless or ineffective.
See it in a sentence
Baking soda can neutralize the strong smell of vinegar in the fridge.
The vaccine helps the body neutralize the virus before it causes illness.
A note on using this word
In chemistry, neutralize specifically means to make a substance neither acidic nor basic by combining it with its opposite.
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
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