1. to make clean and free from germs or bacteria by using chemicals or heat
2. to remove objectionable or sensitive content from something to make it more acceptable

Examples

• The hospital staff must sanitize their hands between patients.
• We need to sanitize all the kitchen surfaces after preparing raw chicken.
• The daycare center sanitizes toys daily to prevent the spread of illness.
• The editor decided to sanitize the article by removing controversial statements.
• Parents often sanitize children’s books to remove scary or inappropriate content.
• The company sanitized its financial reports before releasing them to the public.
• Please sanitize the equipment before the next person uses it.