Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb neutralize

6 senses of neutralize

Sense 1
neutralize -- (make politically neutral and thus inoffensive; "The treaty neutralized the small republic")
       => change, alter, modify -- (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue")

Sense 2
neutralize, neutralise, nullify, negate -- (make ineffective by counterbalancing the effect of; "Her optimism neutralizes his gloom"; "This action will negate the effect of my efforts")
       => weaken -- (lessen the strength of; "The fever weakened his body")

Sense 3
counteract, countervail, neutralize, counterbalance -- (oppose and mitigate the effects of by contrary actions; "This will counteract the foolish actions of my colleagues")
       => cancel, offset, set off -- (make up for; "His skills offset his opponent's superior strength")

Sense 4
neutralize, neutralise, liquidate, waste, knock off, do in -- (get rid of (someone who may be a threat) by killing; "The mafia liquidated the informer"; "the double agent was neutralized")
       => kill -- (cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly; "This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank"; "The farmer killed a pig for the holidays")

Sense 5
neutralize, neutralise -- (make incapable of military action)
       => demilitarize, demilitarise -- (do away with the military organization and potential of)

Sense 6
neutralize, neutralise -- (make chemically neutral; "She neutralized the solution")
       => change, alter, modify -- (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue")