as in killing
to cause to stop functioning
deactivate the machine carefully, or you'll risk an electric shock
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Recent Examples of deactivating
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
According to the complaint, the university did not provide advance notice, a hearing or evidence that the group violated campus policies governing student organizations before deactivating the College Republicans.
—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
Unlike some competing models that allow for toggle functionality—activating IS with one press and deactivating it with another—this model requires continuous pressure on the button to maintain stabilization.
—
Matt Morris,
Space.com,
4 Mar. 2026
The motivation is clear after a down year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a championship team that gave him a $17 million contract and almost 500 plate appearances before deactivating him throughout the postseason.
—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
1 Mar. 2026
Gilbert also spoke out in support of her husband for the first time on Tuesday after deactivating her social media accounts on Sunday.
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Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Jan. 2026
TikTok is deactivating all accounts held by under-16 users.
—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
10 Dec. 2025
The death toll in Hong Kong's apartment complex fire climbed to 159 on Wednesday, as six people were arrested on suspicion of deactivating some fire alarms during maintenance work at the housing complex, authorities said.
—
CBS News,
3 Dec. 2025
Eventually, however, the astronaut Dave Bowman succeeds at deactivating HAL, ignoring the computer’s desperate pleas to stop.
—
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
ArsTechnica,
20 May 2026
According to the complaint, the university did not provide advance notice, a hearing or evidence that the group violated campus policies governing student organizations before deactivating the College Republicans.
—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
Unlike some competing models that allow for toggle functionality—activating IS with one press and deactivating it with another—this model requires continuous pressure on the button to maintain stabilization.
—
Matt Morris,
Space.com,
4 Mar. 2026
The motivation is clear after a down year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a championship team that gave him a $17 million contract and almost 500 plate appearances before deactivating him throughout the postseason.
—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
1 Mar. 2026
Gilbert also spoke out in support of her husband for the first time on Tuesday after deactivating her social media accounts on Sunday.
—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Jan. 2026
TikTok is deactivating all accounts held by under-16 users.
—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
10 Dec. 2025
The death toll in Hong Kong's apartment complex fire climbed to 159 on Wednesday, as six people were arrested on suspicion of deactivating some fire alarms during maintenance work at the housing complex, authorities said.
—
CBS News,
3 Dec. 2025
Eventually, however, the astronaut Dave Bowman succeeds at deactivating HAL, ignoring the computer’s desperate pleas to stop.
—
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deactivating
Verb
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In January 2024, Mansfield confessed to killing 18-year-old Carol Ann Barrett more than four decades earlier.
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He is accused of killing a man on March 13, 2022, Broward court records show.
Verb
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The braking system follows the same philosophy, with a dual-piston floating caliper and disc up front, and a 220-mm rear disc paired with a single-piston caliper.
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And Brembo, an Italian company specializing in braking systems which has had a partnership with Ferrari for more than 50 years, has responded.
Verb
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No other airline has plans to compete with the carrier, sticking instead to traditional one-stop gateways, like Dubai, Los Angeles, or Singapore.
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Those who cannot twerk usually fall back on sticking their tongues down each other’s throats, because this is Love Island, after all.
Cite this Entry
“Deactivating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deactivating. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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