“Diffuse the situation” or “defuse the situation”: which is correct?

Why people get it wrong

People often confuse diffuse with defuse because they sound similar and both can imply reducing tension, but they have different meanings. Diffuse means to spread out, while defuse refers to making a situation less tense, akin to deactivating a bomb.

Examples with defuse the situation

• The mediator was called in to defuse the situation before it escalated.
• He tried to defuse the argument by changing the subject.
• The manager stepped in to defuse tensions between the two employees.