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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deactivating
Verb
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Suspect faces numerous charges Prosecutors say Greene fired multiple shots into a crowd of people, killing Kaori and injuring her 2-year-old brother.—
Christina Fan,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Russian strikes hit more than a half-dozen areas of Ukraine behind the front line from Tuesday to Wednesday, killing an 8-year-old boy in the central Cherkasy region and a woman who was in a kiosk near a bus stop that was hit in southern Zaporizhzhia, according to Zelenskyy and local officials.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The braking system is made up of three disc brakes (one per wheel), a composite system, and Bosch ABS, all of which can be controlled via the two hand levers and a foot pedal.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 Apr. 2026
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Actually, the rules say the hybrid system can use more than a single charge per lap—at the last race in Japan that was set at 8 MJ—so like in Formula E, the drivers need to regenerate energy under braking to recharge the battery.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Oil the pan Use a neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or grapeseed oil) to prevent sticking and encourage browning.—
Li Goldstein,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
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Try sticking your head to that.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deactivating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deactivating. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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