1
as in to collapse
to become smaller in size or volume due to loss of contents
We kept her birthday decorations up until the balloons started deflating.
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2
as in to empty
to make smaller in size or volume by removing the contents
Please deflate the air mattress and fold it up before you leave.
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3
as in to reduce
to make or become lower in amount or value
The excess supply deflated prices. The company's stock has deflated.
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4
as in to undermine
to cause to lose force or effectiveness
Her cutting remark deflated his ego. The lawsuit deflated their hopes for a quick resolution.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deflate
McLaughlin, who last year led a Penske sweep of the front row in qualifying, was clearly deflated after he was released from the medical center.
—
Jenna Fryer, Chicago Tribune, 18 May 2025
Jason Lipshutz: Releasing a follow-up single with Jelly Roll was a smart move by Warren, who can now promote both a pop and country track to different audiences without deflating either of their performances.
—Katie Atkinson, Billboard, 3 June 2025
Paul Taylor Aston Villa Having been well within the hunting pack, last week felt extremely deflating to Villa’s Champions League aspirations.
—Sam Lee, New York Times, 1 May 2025
When deflated and rolled up, the Atmos forms a cylinder measuring 7.75 inches long by 4.5 inches wide (197 by 114 mm).
—New Atlas, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflate
Jenna Fryer, Chicago Tribune, 18 May 2025
Jason Lipshutz: Releasing a follow-up single with Jelly Roll was a smart move by Warren, who can now promote both a pop and country track to different audiences without deflating either of their performances.
—Katie Atkinson, Billboard, 3 June 2025
Paul Taylor Aston Villa Having been well within the hunting pack, last week felt extremely deflating to Villa’s Champions League aspirations.
—Sam Lee, New York Times, 1 May 2025
When deflated and rolled up, the Atmos forms a cylinder measuring 7.75 inches long by 4.5 inches wide (197 by 114 mm).
—New Atlas, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflate
Verb
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When stress hit, the house of cards collapsed, and failures cascaded like dominoes, wiping out billions in customer funds.—
Roomy Khan,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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That’s how a building managed to go without a critical earthquake retrofit for more than a century before its brick walls collapsed in 2003.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
Verb
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That can mean difficulty starting to pee, a weak stream, trouble fully emptying the bladder, or sometimes, an inability to pee at all.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
27 June 2025
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That move emptied the cupboard, burning another three second-round picks.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
24 June 2025
Verb
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To reduce background noise when making phone calls or joining in with a video meeting, Headphone (1) has a 4-microphone ENC system that’s backed up by AI.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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As part of its strategy to reduce cancer rates, the European Commission aims to reduce tobacco use to less than 5% of the EU population by 2040.—
Lisa Klaassen,
CNN Money,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Your bombastic attacks on the free press are, at best, unflattering — and at worst, undermine a core tenet of democracy.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 June 2025
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Trump is undermining our economy with reckless tariffs, harsh cuts, and ICE agents terrorizing our communities.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
Verb
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In theory, this could help spotlight Alto Adige’s remarkable vineyard diversity - granite slopes, volcanic porphyry, glacial moraines - all compressed into just under 6,000 hectares of fragmented vineyards, layered across extreme altitudes.—
Paul Caputo,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
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Burnout is a potential trade-off If your workload is heavy, compressing it into fewer days can backfire.—
Julia Sullivan,
USA Today,
27 June 2025
Verb
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The Army Corps’ solution was to take a meandering 103-mile river that snaked through one of the wildest areas in the state, drain it, and carve it into a ruler-straight, 56-mile 30-foot-deep canal dubbed the C-38 — not exactly fodder for the tourism board.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
29 June 2025
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In such situations, when a client has the resources and the inclination to go round after round, small municipalities have to decide whether to settle or stand on principle, draining their budget.—
Andrew Rice,
Curbed,
26 June 2025
Verb
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LeBron James already opted in to a $52.6 million deal with the Lakers for next season, the Rockets traded for Durant and the Los Angeles Clippers saw James Harden decline his option in return for a new deal and a raise.—
Tim Reynolds,
Chicago Tribune,
1 July 2025
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Three players ultimately declined to participate this time around: Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas and Barry Bonds.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
30 June 2025
Verb
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But in an unexpected ruling in 2023, the Supreme Court declined an invitation to weaken Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.—
June 27,
CBS News,
27 June 2025
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Abandoning recognition can erode motivation, diminish engagement and make employees feel invisible, weakening the cultural fabric and undermining long-term resilience.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deflate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflate. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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