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 lawsuit alleges that later that day, McCormick deactivated her account.
—
Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Many versions are programmed with a self-destruct timer that can deactivate them after several hours or days.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Mar. 2026
Under the policy, elementary school students are required to deactivate and store all personal devices in their backpacks.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
But by Friday, March 20, LaRussell, who is usually active on social media, deactivated all his accounts due to the ongoing criticism.
—Zara Irshad, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Many versions are programmed with a self-destruct timer that can deactivate them after several hours or days.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Mar. 2026
Under the policy, elementary school students are required to deactivate and store all personal devices in their backpacks.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
But by Friday, March 20, LaRussell, who is usually active on social media, deactivated all his accounts due to the ongoing criticism.
—Zara Irshad, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deactivate
Verb
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Authorities allege her husband, 40-year-old Stephen Bowen, killed her with a shotgun.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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They get captured by Hungarian gangsters and have to fight (and kill) their way out of an inn run by a shady former dance prodigy (Uma Thurman).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And drivers should avoid hard acceleration and braking whenever possible, and skip premium gas if their cars allow it, the magazine said.—
Matthew Daly,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
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The rear light flares bright when braking to add visibility for trailing riders and drivers.—
Erica Zazo,
Outside,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The war in Iran has essentially shut off oil tanker traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz, choking off about 20% of the world’s oil supply.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
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The Fire Department had to shut off the system due to an existing pipe issue.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deactivate. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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