1
as in collapses
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 empties
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 reduces
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 undermines
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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Recent Examples of deflates
After portraying Alabaster, down to his pearly-white surname, as the apotheosis of white male villainy, Cash deflates him by arguing, essentially, #NotAllMen.
—
Malavika Kannan, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
But Grande’s conceited blonde bubblehead gains in stature here as Glinda assumes statesmanlike responsibility to spread goodness in Oz, while experiencing crushing romantic disappointment that humbles her and deflates her vanity.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 18 Nov. 2025
Cade Horton’s late injury scratch deflates some of the vibes, too.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
That determination is sent back to the device, which inflates or deflates balloons with air to assist in raising or lowering the arm.
—Mack Degeurin Aug 21, Popular Science, 21 Aug. 2025
Malavika Kannan, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
But Grande’s conceited blonde bubblehead gains in stature here as Glinda assumes statesmanlike responsibility to spread goodness in Oz, while experiencing crushing romantic disappointment that humbles her and deflates her vanity.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 18 Nov. 2025
Cade Horton’s late injury scratch deflates some of the vibes, too.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
That determination is sent back to the device, which inflates or deflates balloons with air to assist in raising or lowering the arm.
—Mack Degeurin Aug 21, Popular Science, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflates
Verb
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When a star dies and collapses, its mass is concentrated into an unimaginably dense point.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
3 June 2026
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Stephon Castle, Julian Champagnie and Dylan Harper need to hit their open threes as the Knicks' defense collapses.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
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To begin, lab assistant Julia Butac empties a burlap bag of beans into a bin and starts to sift them a couple handfuls at a time, removing anything that isn't a full bean.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
10 May 2026
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Best of all, its RockDock Plus empties the dustbin for me for up to seven weeks.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Building on its successful rollout in Brazil, Juspay is expanding Click to Pay globally to eliminate manual card entry, which minimizes checkout friction, reduces cart abandonment and boosts conversion rates.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
4 June 2026
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Maintaining your yard by mowing, removing leaf litter, and trimming vegetation reduces tick habitats.—
Dan Simms,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Verb
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That shift undermines federal goals for the U visa program, the DOJ said in a news release Tuesday.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
3 June 2026
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Treating speech like violence undermines a free society.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Not everyone evacuates at once in a storm.—
Alexandra Phelps,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
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There is this tendency to frame eating disorders as a purely biological phenomenon in a way that kind of evacuates them of all meaning, or actually repels the attempt to create meaning.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The jump plunges 364ft towards the Zambezi River below.—
Sarah Kingdom,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
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The main channel seen in the images measures about 6 miles (10 kilometers) wide and plunges roughly 1,640 feet (500 meters) deep.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Subtract what weakens the system.—
Nilton Bernini,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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Teams evolve at different speeds, innovation concentrates among a small subset of employees, and trust across the organization weakens.—
Matt Rosenbaum,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Make sure the soil at the planting site drains within one hour following heavy rain, as peach trees do not tolerate soggy soil.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
30 May 2026
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Field observations noted that a manhole at the location was spilling into an area roughly 100 feet by 10 feet, with runoff entering a stream that drains into the tributary.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deflates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflates. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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