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View synonyms for neutralize

neutralize

[ noo-truh-lahyz, nyoo- ]

verb (used with object)

, neu·tral·ized, neu·tral·iz·ing.
  1. to make neutral; cause to undergo neutralization.
  2. to make (something) ineffective; counteract; nullify:

    carelessness that neutralized our efforts.

  3. Military. to put out of action or make incapable of action:

    to neutralize an enemy position.

  4. to declare neutral; invest with neutrality in order to exempt from involvement during a war:

    to neutralize a city to prevent bombing.

  5. to add an acid to a basic solution or a base to an acidic solution until the resulting solution is chemically neutral (pH = 7).
  6. Electricity. to render electrically or magnetically neutral.


verb (used without object)

, neu·tral·ized, neu·tral·iz·ing.
  1. to become neutral or neutralized; undergo neutralization:

    With this additive the solution begins to neutralize.

neutralize

/ ˈnjuːtrəˌlaɪz /

verb

  1. also intr to render or become ineffective or neutral by counteracting, mixing, etc; nullify
  2. also intr to make or become electrically or chemically neutral
  3. to exclude (a country) from the sphere of warfare or alliances by international agreement

    the great powers neutralized Belgium in the 19th century

  4. to render (an army) incapable of further military action
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


neutralize

/ no̅o̅trə-līz′ /

  1. To cause an acidic solution to become neutral by adding a base to it or to cause a basic solution to become neutral by adding an acid to it. Salt and water are usually formed in the process.


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Derived Forms

  • ˈneutralˌizer, noun
  • ˌneutraliˈzation, noun
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Other Words From

  • neutral·izer noun
  • over·neutral·ize verb (used with object) overneutralized overneutralizing
  • over·neutral·izer noun
  • re·neutral·ize verb reneutralized reneutralizing
  • un·neutral·ize verb (used with object) unneutralized unneutralizing
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Word History and Origins

Origin of neutralize1

First recorded in 1655–65; neutral + -ize
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Example Sentences

Google’s John Mueller said the company prefers to neutralize the search spam versus penalize it.

So now when my wife, Cathy, notices me eating either soup or cereal using a plain spoon, she will know it’s time to neutralize that grinning clone across the table.

Testing these samples against the live mutant virus from South Africa would confirm that the antibodies formed do indeed neutralize it.

From Time

With Donald completely neutralized and Jalen Ramsey preoccupied with Adams, the Rams’ defense was nowhere near as imposing as it needed to be.

Another possible explanation is that a person may fail to generate enough neutralizing antibodies—those that bind to the virus and successfully prevent it from infecting host cells.

The serum failed to neutralize the virus in subsequent tests and seemed to offer little protection in animal experiments.

It is fair to assume that the IDF would move immediately to neutralize the threat.

The letter that Indian M.P.s wrote was an effort to exert counter-pressure and neutralize that campaign.

Unless we neutralize the air assets with the no-fly zone, this bleeding will continue.

He posed a challenge for the church: he was too revered not to claim, too radical not to neutralize.

If we tried it this close, we'd just be trying to neutralize the sun's gravity.

If the colors used are a certain red and a certain green, they neutralize each other and produce only gray.

Germany must fight, not merely to defeat the British fleet of to-day, but to neutralize the British fleet of to-morrow.

We can only determine by actual experiments what amount added to the air will serve to neutralize the poison.

Add a very little water to the residue and neutralize the extract with calcium carbonate.

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neutralizationneutral monism