defuse

Or the court may seek to defuse the crisis to some extent by finding a mechanism and a date by which Bar might agree to step down,

He spent a lot of time as a "spotter", watching out for known trouble-makers, gathering operational intelligence, and helping to defuse potential flashpoints at football games.

A pensions timebomb is ticking on the Isle of Man and the self-governing island off the UK's west coast came very close to defusing it last week.

After a press conference which it held in the hope of defusing the outrage turned into a PR disaster, the company held a second one that lasted 10 hours - intended to show remorse.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has moved to defuse a row with the new US administration over a new land law by speaking to Elon Musk.