as in killing
to cause to stop functioning
deactivate the machine carefully, or you'll risk an electric shock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deactivating
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
Fowler's report was shortly followed by Jennings deactivating his Instagram page, which led some to believe that the rumors about the fifth-year wideout potentially being on the trading block may have some validity.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
Sanders was dealing with a back injury, which led to the Browns deactivating him for the game.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
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
Fowler's report was shortly followed by Jennings deactivating his Instagram page, which led some to believe that the rumors about the fifth-year wideout potentially being on the trading block may have some validity.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
Sanders was dealing with a back injury, which led to the Browns deactivating him for the game.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deactivating
Verb
-
Three glide bombs struck the center of the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, killing four people, the head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Vadym Filashkin, said Tuesday.—
HANNA ARHIROVA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Most of the strikes occur in the summer, killing 20 people each year, according to the NWS.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The competitive picture could swing again in Shanghai next week at the Chinese GP, as Melbourne was one of a small group of tracks where the engines are particularly starved of energy due to a lack of braking zones.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Another teaches panic braking techniques, allowing students to activate a vehicle's anti-lock braking system, or ABS, to stop safely.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
While standard cast iron typically requires seasoning to both preserve and maintain its quality and help prevent food from sticking, this cast iron is equipped with a black matte satin interior enamel coating that’s made to resist cracking, chipping, and staining.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Hanson continued to cause problems for Christensen — now at Barcelona — by sticking diligently to his left flank duties, and Filipe Morais levelled the score 15 minutes from time.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deactivating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deactivating. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
