defanging
Extracting venomous fangs
Defanging is the act of removing fangs, literally or figuratively.
The figurative sense dominates: to defang something is to strip it of its power to harm or threaten.
A law might be defanged by amendments that gut its enforcement provisions.
Critics accused Congress of defanging the regulatory agency.
In cybersecurity, defanging a URL means altering it so it can't be accidentally clicked.
Becoming less strong
- disempowermentLoss of agency
- underminingWeakening by covert means
- neutralizingMaking something ineffective
- declawingPermanent nail removal surgery
toothless · emasculation · gutting · diluting · blunting · opposition · legislation · regulation
Permanent nail removal surgery
- disarmingAllaying suspicion through warmth
- serpentCunning, limbless reptile
- detoxificationRemoving harmful substances internally
- venomousProducing injected toxins
cobra · viper · herpetology · antivenin · milking
weakening
Becoming less strong
- disempowermentLoss of agency
- underminingWeakening by covert means
- neutralizingMaking something ineffective
declawing · toothless · emasculation · gutting · diluting · blunting · opposition · legislation · regulation · reform
declawing
Permanent nail removal surgery
- disarmingAllaying suspicion through warmth
- serpentCunning, limbless reptile
- detoxificationRemoving harmful substances internally
venomous · cobra · viper · herpetology · antivenin · milking
quarantine
Isolation preventing disease transmission
- co-optationappropriation, capture, hijacking, takeover, usurpation
- downplayingminimizing, downplay, trivializing, belittling, soft-pedal
- mistreatmentbullying, harassing, intimidating, oppressing, humiliating
defangingarming
Providing with weapons
weaponizing · empowering · militarizing · rearming · strengthening
defangingempowering
Giving authority or confidence
emboldening · invigorating · strengthening · enabling · authorizing