as in disarmament
the reduction or elimination of a country's armed forces or weapons
the demilitarization of some formerly warlike nations that occurred in the aftermath of World War II
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to disarm
to reduce the size and strength of the armed forces of
the two nations agreed to demilitarize themselves reciprocally in hopes of avoiding war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of demilitarization
Helen Regan, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
Hamas rejects the demilitarization clause at the heart of the plan, which is a key part of phase two.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2025
Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
Officials said the operations are part of a systematic effort to demilitarize the peninsula.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demilitarization
Noun
The United Nations Security Council backed the plan in November – giving it international legitimacy – with a mandate for the board to oversee the demilitarization and rebuilding of Gaza.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
Hamas rejects the demilitarization clause at the heart of the plan, which is a key part of phase two.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2025
Verb
The Ukrainian leader said any withdrawal of troops would have to be reciprocal, with Moscow giving up as much Ukrainian territory as that ceded by Kyiv and those pockets of the Donbas becoming demilitarized as a result.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
Officials said the operations are part of a systematic effort to demilitarize the peninsula.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demilitarization
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demilitarization
Noun
-
Vahd Nabyl Achmad Mulachela, a spokesperson for Indonesia's Foreign Affairs Ministry, said Indonesian troops would not take part in disarmament -- one of the most contentious and unresolved elements of the peace plan.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Vahd Nabyl Achmad Mulachela, a spokesperson for Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, said Indonesian troops would not take part in disarmament — one of the most contentious and unresolved elements of the peace plan.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The victim got out and struggled with the suspect, and was able to disarm her, but suffered cuts during the incident.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Pretti had been taken to the ground and disarmed by a host of Border Patrol agents.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Rattling off the potential for irreparable harm, the attorney said that demobilizing the project and then restarting it would significantly delay the overall timeline of the critical infrastructure project, or even torpedo the whole thing.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The city coordinates with community partners like Jericho Way to ensure transportation and shelter for homeless residents during periods when the city's temporary emergency shelter is demobilized.—
Bill Bowden,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demilitarization.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demilitarization. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
