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
However, Microsoft’s partner portal website mysteriously said his account had been deactivated, without specifying why.
—
Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 8 Apr. 2026
The bachelor’s program for Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Georgia State University is being deactivated at the end of this semester, according to the school, which said the major had low enrollment.
—Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 4 Apr. 2026
In February, Mountain View canceled its contract and deactivated its Flock Safety camera networks after federal authorities accessed data without consent.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
While 5 million Australian accounts had been deactivated, a substantial number of Australian children continued to retain accounts, create new accounts and pass platforms' age assurance systems, the report said.
—Rod McGuirk The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 8 Apr. 2026
The bachelor’s program for Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Georgia State University is being deactivated at the end of this semester, according to the school, which said the major had low enrollment.
—Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 4 Apr. 2026
In February, Mountain View canceled its contract and deactivated its Flock Safety camera networks after federal authorities accessed data without consent.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
While 5 million Australian accounts had been deactivated, a substantial number of Australian children continued to retain accounts, create new accounts and pass platforms' age assurance systems, the report said.
—Rod McGuirk The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 1 Apr. 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 9 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
