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
The hate got so bad that Corrin deactivated their Instagram account for a year and has just come back on the platform.
—
Ellise Shafer, Variety, 31 May 2026
To deactivate the alarm, simply put the top pin back in.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026
Prosecutors say that Cunningham additionally contacted his wireless carrier to ask that his phone be deactivated, changed his number, and gave his car to his niece, creating a months-long delay for police to find and search the vehicle.
—Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 28 May 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.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Ellise Shafer, Variety, 31 May 2026
To deactivate the alarm, simply put the top pin back in.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026
Prosecutors say that Cunningham additionally contacted his wireless carrier to ask that his phone be deactivated, changed his number, and gave his car to his niece, creating a months-long delay for police to find and search the vehicle.
—Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 28 May 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.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deactivate
Verb
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Los Angeles police Friday released bodycam footage of an officer killing a woman’s pet dog in a case that has sparked outrage and questions.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
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The Israeli strikes killed five people around the town of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, according to the official news agency NNA, and the army said a soldier was along the victims.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Verb
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Her lawyers now argue trial counsel should have dug deeper and sought expert testimony to explain whether POTS could account for Shirilla’s failure to brake before impact.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
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The scoot rolls on 15-inch wheels front and rear with grippy Maxxis tires, with braking coming in the form of 275-mm dual discs at the front and a 275-mm single disc at the rear.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 13,
New Atlas,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Middle Eastern oil wells were largely shut off during the war.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
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The model developer has since shut off access to both systems to all customers to ensure compliance.—
Maggie Eastland,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deactivate. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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