To defuse a situation is to calm it down. When a bomb is about to go off, the bomb squad has to defuse it by removing the detonator.
The bomb squad was trying to defuse the bomb before it exploded.
He tried to defuse the situation by apologizing.
verb
remove the triggering device from
1
You have the enviable ability to defuse tense situations.
2
The bomb was defused by the army.
3
It will help defuse a potentially inflammable situation.
4
At the same time, attempts to defuse the situation continued.
5
Stottlemeyer finds the bomb underneath the car, and defuses it.
6
The officers attempt to defuse the situation but are rebuffed with gunfire.
7
These approaches may defuse the argument and improve the page.
8
One of the bombs was successfully defused but the other bomb exploded.
9
Ownership sought to defuse the situation by changing the name to Condors.
10
Police managed to defuse the situation and nobody was harmed in the incident.