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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deflates
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
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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Doing something that is sold as socially progressive, but ends up benefiting big-money donors, and then wrapping it up in so much regulation and taxation that the policy collapses under its own weight—how dysfunctionally California is that?—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
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Trump seems to imagine a hierarchical system dominated by a single capo whose removal collapses the organization—a model rooted in the 1980s.—
Javier Corrales,
Time,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The vacuum detects dirt, auto-refills its tank, empties dust, and reacts to and avoids obstacles.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
7 Oct. 2025
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The researchers also modeled gastroparesis, a condition where the stomach empties more slowly, often due to diabetes or viral infections.—
Alyssa Hui-Anderson,
Verywell Health,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This enables continuous charging and reduces the need for large onboard batteries.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
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As a stocky playmaker who rarely sprints and often reduces the game to walking pace in an increasingly breakneck sport populated by iron men, Cherki’s timing of arrival into English football is where the dichotomy lies.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Majumdar’s inconsistent world building ultimately undermines the reader’s ability to invest in the story.—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
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Polymer chains tend to slip during loading, which undermines the effective utilization of their high intrinsic mechanical properties, thereby limiting the strength and toughness of polymer fibers.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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On the morning of January 29, 2024, her family evacuates their homes in Tel al-Hawa in Gaza City.—
E. Alex Jung,
Vulture,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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That plunges her into dreamlike visions on Mita, a sinister entity feeding on her pain.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
3 Nov. 2025
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While the filmmaker’s first nine movies were modestly budgeted — see Inherent Vice (2014) or Hard Eight (1996) — the $140 million One Battle, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, plunges Anderson into franchise-like economics.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Lee was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at age 2, a degenerative disease that gradually weakens muscles.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
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Unlike some of the burger chain’s peers, Cramer said McDonald’s has immense scale and strength and is making an effort to lower prices as consumer spending weakens.—
Julie Coleman,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Source clarity can save time and reduce the back-and-forth that drains energy during tight deadlines.—
Malana VanTyler,
Ascend Agency,
6 Nov. 2025
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Make sure to soak the plant thoroughly so the water drains from the bottom of the pot.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deflates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflates. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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