deactivate
verb
de·ac·ti·vate
(ˌ)dē-ˈak-tə-ˌvāt 
deactivated; deactivating; deactivates
: to make inactive or ineffective
deactivate a bomb
deactivate a chemical compound
Examples of deactivate in a Sentence
deactivate the machine carefully, or you'll risk an electric shock
Recent Examples on the Web
After Loeb translated the book, the Allies were able to deactivate explosives concealed in the bridge, enabling soldiers to cross the Rhine River into Germany.
—
David Moin, Footwear News, 31 July 2025
Tennessee can execute a death row inmate on Aug. 5 without having to first deactivate his heart device, the state Supreme Court has ruled.
—Kelly Puente, Nashville Tennessean, 31 July 2025
The wife of Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, who was caught on a jumbotron at a Coldplay concert embracing his company's chief human resources officer, changed her last name on Facebook before deactivating her account.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
An Amber Alert issued early Saturday morning was deactivated after a 1-year-old girl was found safe hours later, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation posted online.
—Tamara Dunn, Denver Post, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
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David Moin, Footwear News, 31 July 2025
Tennessee can execute a death row inmate on Aug. 5 without having to first deactivate his heart device, the state Supreme Court has ruled.
—Kelly Puente, Nashville Tennessean, 31 July 2025
The wife of Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, who was caught on a jumbotron at a Coldplay concert embracing his company's chief human resources officer, changed her last name on Facebook before deactivating her account.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
An Amber Alert issued early Saturday morning was deactivated after a 1-year-old girl was found safe hours later, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation posted online.
—Tamara Dunn, Denver Post, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Cite this Entry
“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deactivate. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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Medical Definition
deactivate
transitive verb
de·ac·ti·vate
(ˈ)dē-ˈak-tə-ˌvāt
deactivated; deactivating
1
: to make inactive or ineffective
2
: to deprive of chemical activity
deactivate an enzyme
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