defund

verb

de·​fund (ˌ)dē-ˈfənd How to pronounce defund (audio)
defunded; defunding; defunds

transitive verb

: to withdraw funding from

Examples of defund in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Roberts' vote against Trump on whether to defund the aid agency, USAID, shifts the context of speculation that Trump was thanking Roberts for supporting his second term political agenda. Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025 Meanwhile, funding agencies and research institutions are striving to prove the legitimacy of animal research to the public even as the Trump administration seeks to defund science. Celia Ford, Vox, 3 Mar. 2025 Pending the outcome of a legal motion filed this month by an employee union, the administration has agreed not to fire more personnel, alter or remove data or defund the agency. Douglas Gillison, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025 The big picture: There are few such requirements left, but the move echoes a campaign pledge to defund schools with vaccine mandates and comes a day after noted vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as HHS secretary. Adriel Bettelheim, Axios, 14 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for defund

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of defund was in 1948

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Defund.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defund. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on defund

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!