neutralize

Verb

neutralize (third-person singular simple present neutralizes, present participle neutralizing, simple past and past participle neutralized)

1. (transitive) To make (something) even, inactive or ineffective.
   • The antidote neutralized the toxin.
   • It’s possible that some microbes don’t just take up residence in tumors but help them grow. They may cloak the tumor from the immune system, neutralize drugs or help tumors spread through the body.2022 September 29, Carl Zimmer, “A New Approach to Spotting Tumors: Look for Their Microbes”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 01 Dec 2022

   Synonyms:

   counteract, counterweigh

2. (transitive) To make (a territory, etc.) politically neutral.
   • All the powers involved are committed not only to stay out of a given territory, but also to reenter it if any one of them violates the independence of the neutralized country.1965, United States. Congress. Senate, Hearings, volume 1, page 77
3. (transitive) To make (an acidic or alkaline substance) chemically neutral.
4. (euphemistic, transitive) To kill.
   • At the beginning of the opening game, Shepard becomes the first human Spectre, an elite operative given broad authority to neutralize threats to galactic order in the galaxy.2019, “Mass Effect (Trilogy)”, in Michael M. Levy, Farah Mendlesohn, editors, Aliens in Popular Culture, ABC-CLIO, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 175
   • “We managed to neutralise the guilty person. So there was no longer any imminent threat,” De Croo said, […]2023 October 17, Lisa O'Carroll, Miranda Bryant, Lorenzo Tondo, quoting Alexander De Croo, “Killing of two Swedish football fans in Brussels ‘probably lone wolf’ attack”, in The Guardian, →ISSN...