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
But the trade-off is, of course, performance – and the fan can be manually deactivated if needed.
—
New Atlas, 18 Jan. 2026
Social media companies have removed access to millions of accounts belonging to children in Australia in the first month since the country’s historic ban took effect, requiring platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok to identify and deactivate users under the age 16.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Almost five million social media accounts belonging to Australian teenagers have been deactivated or removed, according to the government.
—Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 16 Jan. 2026
The alert was subsequently deactivated.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
New Atlas, 18 Jan. 2026
Social media companies have removed access to millions of accounts belonging to children in Australia in the first month since the country’s historic ban took effect, requiring platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok to identify and deactivate users under the age 16.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Almost five million social media accounts belonging to Australian teenagers have been deactivated or removed, according to the government.
—Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 16 Jan. 2026
The alert was subsequently deactivated.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deactivate
Verb
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State television reported that Niger's forces responded quickly to the assault early Thursday, killing 20 of the attackers and arresting 11 others.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Banfield took the stand in his own defense, acknowledging the affair with Peres Magalhães that started in August 2022 but denied any plans to kill his wife.—
Lauren del Valle,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Leave plenty of room to brake and remember that posted speed limits apply to ideal conditions.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
4 Feb. 2026
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The Waymo Driver braked hard, reducing speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact was made.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Before water was shut off, the flood had reached almost every section of the first floor and the basement, resulting in extensive damage.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
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Chisos Mountains Lodge remains fully closed, while water spigots, sinks, and toilets at parts of the park have also been shut off.—
Outside,
Outside,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deactivate. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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