as in to kill
to cause to stop functioning
deactivate the machine carefully, or you'll risk an electric shock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of deactivate
Northstar’s media contact number has been deactivated and an email to the resort was not immediately returned.
—
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2026
The man looks down almost immediately after the light turns on when the light deactivates.
—Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026
Foley says during the time the crimes were being committed, Healey only deactivated the EBT debit cards flagged for fraud and did not prosecute any individuals connected to those cards and benefits.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2026
The man looks down almost immediately after the light turns on when the light deactivates.
—Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026
Foley says during the time the crimes were being committed, Healey only deactivated the EBT debit cards flagged for fraud and did not prosecute any individuals connected to those cards and benefits.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deactivate
Verb
-
Six of the close friends and three guides are among the nine people killed or presumed dead in the avalanche near California’s Lake Tahoe - the nation’s deadliest in 45 years.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
-
So far, at least 40,000 people have been killed and 12 million displaced, according to the World Health Organization.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After sales of its electric vehicles declined last year, Tesla's future success hinges largely on its ability to deliver driverless systems that make their cars safe to use without a human at the wheel, ready to steer or brake at any time.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
23 Feb. 2026
-
But then, with one lap to go and the white flag already out, his Open-car competitor Corey LaJoie spun out, and instead of braking and avoiding the carnage, Mears smashed his foot on the pedal and zoomed ahead of LaJoie before the caution came out.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Access to this aspect of Jewish life, of the life of my family going back hundreds of years, had been shut off to me, as firmly as a metal door welded shut.—
Nicholas Lemann,
New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Users can set overall Downtime, which shuts off all phone activity during a set period of their choice.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deactivate. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
