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
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
Access to the full code would allow users to make meaningful changes to how their TVs work, including limiting ads or deactivating automatic content recognition.
—ArsTechnica, 20 May 2026
Chana’s research team discovered a molecular glue, CLEO4-88, that can deactivate proteins rather than destroy them.
—Jennifer Kite-Powell, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Derrek Miranda, the man behind the Whitewallstuntz social media accounts that gained popularity in the last year documenting Los Angeles’ underbelly, said his Instagram account was deactivated after posting a video of the April 25 speed run.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 24 May 2026
Access to the full code would allow users to make meaningful changes to how their TVs work, including limiting ads or deactivating automatic content recognition.
—ArsTechnica, 20 May 2026
Chana’s research team discovered a molecular glue, CLEO4-88, that can deactivate proteins rather than destroy them.
—Jennifer Kite-Powell, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Derrek Miranda, the man behind the Whitewallstuntz social media accounts that gained popularity in the last year documenting Los Angeles’ underbelly, said his Instagram account was deactivated after posting a video of the April 25 speed run.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deactivate
Verb
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In recent months security forces have killed a string of top Maoists and the rank-and-file are laying down their weapons.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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At the same time that the GKN situation was unraveling, the rupture of a chemical tank containing a different chemical mixture killed 11 people at a paper mill in Washington state.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 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,
30 May 2026
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The front half of the lap has braking zones.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Often condo towers will shut off their cooling towers, which keep the AC running, for safety during a hurricane.—
Catherine Odom,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2026
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Atmos Energy, a natural gas provider in the area, said service to the neighborhood remained shut off, and company officials were working with investigators on-site.—
JAMIE STENGLE,
Arkansas Online,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deactivate. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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