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
Users can activate or deactivate extruders as needed.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.
—Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 19 Jan. 2026
But the trade-off is, of course, performance – and the fan can be manually deactivated if needed.
—New Atlas, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
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Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.
—Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 19 Jan. 2026
But the trade-off is, of course, performance – and the fan can be manually deactivated if needed.
—New Atlas, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Cite this Entry
“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deactivate. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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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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