weaponize
verb
weap·on·ize
ˈwe-pə-ˌnīz 
weaponized; weaponizing
: to adapt for use as a weapon of war
Examples of weaponize in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The social media platform has faced growing scrutiny from some government officials over fears that user data could fall into the possession of the Chinese government and the app could be weaponized by China to spread misinformation.
—
Max Zahn, ABC News, 9 May 2024
Eight years ago, the Trump campaign used improperly obtained Facebook data to build voter profiles for 50 million users, and Russia weaponized Facebook to undermine the integrity of the U.S. elections.
—Peter Vanham, Fortune, 8 May 2024
Holden Triplett, a former F.B.I. counterintelligence official who led the bureau’s offices in China, said that Chinese citizens are more likely to have family ties to China that could be weaponized by state security agencies there.
—Patricia Mazzei, New York Times, 6 May 2024
Spyware can be weaponized by nation-state adversaries.
—Kate O'Flaherty, WIRED, 6 May 2024
Advocates in Missouri are now pushing to change this law, arguing that it's being weaponized against victims of domestic violence and contributes to the contraction of women's reproductive freedoms in a post-Roe v. Wade landscape.
—Katia Riddle, NPR, 3 May 2024
The students say that antisemitism allegations have been weaponized to crack down on pro-Palestinian protests.
—Sanya Mansoor, TIME, 1 May 2024
The author’s book, War Virtually, is a critical look at how the U.S. military is weaponizing technology and data.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 Apr. 2024
But, at the end of the day, the recall just seems like sour grapes from a union weaponizing the recall process in a retaliatory manner.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 23 Apr. 2024
Max Zahn, ABC News, 9 May 2024
Eight years ago, the Trump campaign used improperly obtained Facebook data to build voter profiles for 50 million users, and Russia weaponized Facebook to undermine the integrity of the U.S. elections.
—Peter Vanham, Fortune, 8 May 2024
Holden Triplett, a former F.B.I. counterintelligence official who led the bureau’s offices in China, said that Chinese citizens are more likely to have family ties to China that could be weaponized by state security agencies there.
—Patricia Mazzei, New York Times, 6 May 2024
Spyware can be weaponized by nation-state adversaries.
—Kate O'Flaherty, WIRED, 6 May 2024
Advocates in Missouri are now pushing to change this law, arguing that it's being weaponized against victims of domestic violence and contributes to the contraction of women's reproductive freedoms in a post-Roe v. Wade landscape.
—Katia Riddle, NPR, 3 May 2024
The students say that antisemitism allegations have been weaponized to crack down on pro-Palestinian protests.
—Sanya Mansoor, TIME, 1 May 2024
The author’s book, War Virtually, is a critical look at how the U.S. military is weaponizing technology and data.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 Apr. 2024
But, at the end of the day, the recall just seems like sour grapes from a union weaponizing the recall process in a retaliatory manner.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 23 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'weaponize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near weaponize
Cite this Entry
“Weaponize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weaponize. Accessed 14 May. 2024.
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