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
Early Tuesday morning, the tram will be deactivated, the existing security checkpoints will be closed, and the new public roadways will open for travel to the new terminal.
—
John Shumway, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
The seizure also follows an unusual incident during which 75 percent of the Iranian oil fleet activated their location tracking signals and deactivated them the next day.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
They are instead processed by Grok, a version of the same AI chatbot that made antisemitic statements after an update in July, forcing xAI to apologize and deactivate the update.
—Harry Booth, Time, 9 Nov. 2025
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, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
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John Shumway, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
The seizure also follows an unusual incident during which 75 percent of the Iranian oil fleet activated their location tracking signals and deactivated them the next day.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
They are instead processed by Grok, a version of the same AI chatbot that made antisemitic statements after an update in July, forcing xAI to apologize and deactivate the update.
—Harry Booth, Time, 9 Nov. 2025
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, 8 Nov. 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 19 Nov. 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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