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
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Recent Examples of demilitarize
Similarly, pausing attacks on energy infrastructure is clearly more advantageous to Russia, as is demilitarizing the Black Sea, given Russia’s dependence on the waterway and the Russian Navy’s extreme – and one-sided – vulnerability to Ukrainian attacks.
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Douglas Schoen, Orange County Register, 20 Mar. 2025
The outcome that Putin wants would be a Ukraine that is permanently stripped of almost 25 percent of its territory, demilitarized, and barred from joining the EU and NATO.
—Stephen Hadley, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2025
Israel demands that Hamas not continue to control Gaza, that Gaza be demilitarized of heavy weapons, and that senior Hamas military and political leaders in Gaza leave the strip and go into exile, the officials added.
—Barak Ravid, Axios, 20 Feb. 2025
Given this history, any Israeli government of the foreseeable future would demand that a Palestinian state be demilitarized, with severe restrictions of the weapons even a police force can carry.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demilitarize
Douglas Schoen, Orange County Register, 20 Mar. 2025
The outcome that Putin wants would be a Ukraine that is permanently stripped of almost 25 percent of its territory, demilitarized, and barred from joining the EU and NATO.
—Stephen Hadley, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2025
Israel demands that Hamas not continue to control Gaza, that Gaza be demilitarized of heavy weapons, and that senior Hamas military and political leaders in Gaza leave the strip and go into exile, the officials added.
—Barak Ravid, Axios, 20 Feb. 2025
Given this history, any Israeli government of the foreseeable future would demand that a Palestinian state be demilitarized, with severe restrictions of the weapons even a police force can carry.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demilitarize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demilitarize
Verb
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Following the meeting, a senior Israeli official said an understanding between Israel and the U.S. was emerging that there was a need to move from a plan to release some of the hostages to a plan to release all the hostages, disarm Hamas militants, and demilitarize the Gaza Strip.—
Maayan Lubell,
USA Today,
1 Aug. 2025
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Their refusal to admit defeat, disarm and leave Gaza indicates their lack of concern for the citizenry there.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
31 July 2025
Verb
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Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell on Tuesday confirmed that approximately 2,000 of the 4,000 California National Guard troops deployed in the region would begin demobilizing.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
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Its influence extended around the world: In 2006, an advertising agency in Bogotá, Colombia, was asked by the government to research, prototype, and launch an ad campaign imploring a group of Marxist-Leninist guerrilla fighters to demobilize.—
Celine Nguyen,
The Atlantic,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demilitarize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demilitarize. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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