I'm looking for a word to describe rendering a person powerless, for example somebody who is causing some grief to a group, and you are able to say something that destroys their argument and leaves them without a leg to stand on.
An example sentence would be:
"I _____ed him by expertly destroying his faulty logic".
I feel the word is on the tip of my tongue but I cannot place it.
Best Answer
See neutralize. The Oxford dictionary defines it as
Popular use: The army neutralized the threat, Radical views neutralized by the opposition.
Also look up synonyms such as counterpoise.