1. to remove the fangs from (a snake or other animal)
Usage: literal sense
2. to make harmless or less threatening; to remove the power or danger from something
Usage: figurative sense

Examples

• The zoo veterinarian had to defang the venomous snake before the educational program.
• The new regulations effectively defanged the controversial law.
• Critics argued that the amendments would defang the environmental protection bill.
• The company’s legal team worked to defang the lawsuit through settlement negotiations.
• Security measures were put in place to defang potential threats.
• The editor defanged the harsh criticism in the final draft of the article.