as in to kill
to cause to stop functioning
deactivate the machine carefully, or you'll risk an electric shock
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Recent Examples of deactivate
Don’t use it during the day, since the sunlight can deactivate the active ingredient, and always pair its use with a moisturizer in order to offset any drying effects, adds Isaacs.
—
Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2025
His co-workers then rushed to deactivate the machine and pull him free.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
His TikTok page appears to have been deactivated.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
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.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2025
His co-workers then rushed to deactivate the machine and pull him free.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
His TikTok page appears to have been deactivated.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
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.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deactivate
Verb
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Four people were killed and another four were injured in two head-on collisions on Arkansas roads Friday and Saturday, according to preliminary police reports.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Oct. 2025
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Listeria infects 1,250 people in the United States each year, according to the CDC, and kills about 172.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Each trike benefits from a hydraulic brake at each wheel, with 180-mm rotors, and the rear lighting setup includes a braking tail-light plus turn signaling.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
17 Oct. 2025
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But that happiness quickly took a turn when the mother quickly braked and stopped the vehicle, and sent him flying into the open area behind the driver's seat.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Springsteen grew up alongside rock’n’roll, absorbing its origin story and waiting for the day when his ability to write a killer riff would transport him from the misery of living with a father who didn’t understand him, shut off from a world that promised so much but gave so little.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
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At one point, customers heard a rumor that SDG&E was shutting off electricity to the building — an alarming development that would have left the business’s freezers without power.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deactivate. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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