as in nullifying
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1
as in offsetting
to balance with an equal force so as to make ineffective
a pro-government rally that is intended to neutralize the antiwar demonstrations
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in assassinating
to put to death deliberately
orders to find the renegade colonel and to neutralize him
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Recent Examples of neutralizing
Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Baking Soda As an alkaline compound, baking soda is skilled at neutralizing odors.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025
From there, researchers could comb through the libraries to identify any broadly neutralizing nanobodies.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2025
Palivizumab bound to the prefusion and postfusion F proteins, but the most strongly neutralizing antibodies against RSV were those that only targeted the virus’s prefusion structure.
—Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2025
Bart Jansen, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Friday, with Montreal having the final chance to get favorable matchups playing at home, Tampa Bay still had success neutralizing the Suzuki line, which had just four shots on goal.
—Eduardo A. Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
Varespladib is a rescue treatment for snakebites that works by neutralizing a key toxin in 95% of snake species, according to the company.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
What Happens to the Body During Earthing The electrons absorbed through skin contact are thought to act as natural antioxidants, neutralizing free radicals — unstable molecules that contribute to cellular inflammation and tissue damage.
—Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2026
Seizing or neutralizing Kharg Island Kharg Island is the centerpiece of Iran’s oil export system.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
The Spurs deployed myriad defensive coverages against Cade Cunningham in the two matchups, and their objective of neutralizing him was clear.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Next-gen strike missile Developed by Lockheed Martin, PrSM is the next-generation surface-to-surface weapon system designed to enhance deterrence and provide advanced capabilities for neutralizing, suppressing, and destroying targets at depth.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 Mar. 2026
For now, the Supreme Court ruling has effectively installed a strict near-term ceiling on trade barriers, substantially neutralizing the threat of runaway tariff escalation.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
By partly neutralizing criticism that its leaders are elitist or antidemocratic, the right has been able to focus on issues that play to its strengths.
—Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Baking Soda As an alkaline compound, baking soda is skilled at neutralizing odors.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025
From there, researchers could comb through the libraries to identify any broadly neutralizing nanobodies.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2025
Palivizumab bound to the prefusion and postfusion F proteins, but the most strongly neutralizing antibodies against RSV were those that only targeted the virus’s prefusion structure.
—Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
Trump is standing by the leadership of the Secret Service and the president personally thinks agents did an excellent job neutralizing the shooter, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Friday, with Montreal having the final chance to get favorable matchups playing at home, Tampa Bay still had success neutralizing the Suzuki line, which had just four shots on goal.
—Eduardo A. Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
Varespladib is a rescue treatment for snakebites that works by neutralizing a key toxin in 95% of snake species, according to the company.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
What Happens to the Body During Earthing The electrons absorbed through skin contact are thought to act as natural antioxidants, neutralizing free radicals — unstable molecules that contribute to cellular inflammation and tissue damage.
—Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2026
Seizing or neutralizing Kharg Island Kharg Island is the centerpiece of Iran’s oil export system.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
The Spurs deployed myriad defensive coverages against Cade Cunningham in the two matchups, and their objective of neutralizing him was clear.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Next-gen strike missile Developed by Lockheed Martin, PrSM is the next-generation surface-to-surface weapon system designed to enhance deterrence and provide advanced capabilities for neutralizing, suppressing, and destroying targets at depth.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 Mar. 2026
For now, the Supreme Court ruling has effectively installed a strict near-term ceiling on trade barriers, substantially neutralizing the threat of runaway tariff escalation.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neutralizing
Verb
-
Meanwhile, enrollment is declining, offsetting the benefit of state increases in spending per pupil.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Lamont, a fiscal moderate, has been reluctant to support spending that would exceed the cap on a recurring basis and would prefer legislators pay for extra town aid by finding offsetting cuts elsewhere in the budget.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Making a disgusting joke about assassinating the President #2.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The furor around Kimmel comes seven months after ABC briefly suspended his talk show amid a controversy over his comments about the political motivations of the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.—
Daniel Arkin,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In a separate homeowner lawsuit in Oklahoma state court, State Farm's lawyers said the company launched an initiative in 2020 to improve the accuracy of its claims-handling practices, including correcting overpayment and underpayment of claims for wind and hail damage.—
Michael Copley,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
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By correcting the imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants (referred to as oxidative stress), the polyphenols may improve arterial function and help ease blood pressure.—
MD Published,
Verywell Health,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some progressives have cheered Luigi Mangione for murdering Brian Thompson, a health-care CEO.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
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The unsealed indictment formally charges Bowen with murdering Metayer Bowen with a firearm and tampering with evidence.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In practice, this means that before executing movements, the humanoid predicts potential environmental changes and evaluates possible outcomes, as part of a simulation-first approach that is becoming central to physical AI development.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Police found a 9 mm bullet casing inside the car when executing a search warrant.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But all that would change after the July 7, 2021, slaying of Haiti’s president, when both agents would eventually cut off contact with Pretel and the FBI terminated its contractual engagement with him.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Field, 44, was released from prison just last year after serving a 24-year sentence for the April 29, 2000, slaying.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On Saturday, Moscow pummeled the central city of Dnipro and other areas for more than twenty hours with barrages of missiles and drones, killing at least seven people.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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The coastal Georgia man arrested in 2018 and accused of torturing, killing and burying his two teenage children in the backyard of the family’s mobile home will spend the rest of his life behind bars after reaching a plea deal.—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Neutralizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/neutralizing. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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