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Like many prefixes, de- has several meanings: reduce, remove, and to get off of are a few. Here are some examples of de- words.
- debone: remove the bones
- decertify: remove certification
- decommission: take out of commission
- decompose: break down
- de-emphasize: remove emphasis from
- decrease: reduce in size
- derail: fall off the rails; throw off course
Notice the hyphen between the two e's in de-emphasize. Although personal preference dictates whether you include a hyphen after a prefix that ends in the same vowel as the root word starts with, that hyphen can make things a lot clearer for your readers.
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