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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
3
as in reduces
to make or become lower in amount or value
The excess supply deflated prices. The company's stock has deflated.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 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
-
As the castle’s internal order collapses under the weight of a string of baffling crimes, Araki strikes a fragile alliance with Kuroda Kanbei – a razor-minded captive languishing in his own dungeon – in a race to root out a traitor before Oda’s army closes in.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
-
At the elementary level, the figure collapses to 11%.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Every weekday before dawn, Deltona empties itself onto I-4.—
Christopher Bellingham,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The bustling evening market, where locals gather for tacos, now empties out early.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This ceiling reduces the effective tax benefit from 37% to 35%.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
-
This approach reduces the chance of a single point of failure bringing down an entire system and ensures appropriate AI boundaries that keep human intelligence at the center of business decisions that matter.—
Anita Beveridge-Raffo,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Critics are alarmed by its presence at the White House, saying the group promotes extreme views and undermines public schools.—
Collin Binkley,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
-
But this undermines the premise of personal style.—
Theara Coleman,
TheWeek,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Architectonics takes this murky style and plunges it to a new deep, incorporating the bronze gong and chime sounds of gamelan while burying his rhythms in dense, dubby layers of incense smoke.—
Sam Goldner,
Pitchfork,
13 Apr. 2026
-
As the capsule plunges through the atmosphere, a communications blackout is anticipated as plasma builds up around the spacecraft and causes interference.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Even if the petrodollar weakens, dollar dominance still rests on other factors that other currencies can’t match, according to Paul Blustein, a scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
-
When asked to comment, Apple pointed to previous statements, saying that the DMA discourages innovation, weakens privacy protections, delays or degrades product launches and increases security risks.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There’s a queerness to Mantello’s vision, including a blurring of gender associations that begins with its leads and radiates throughout, that ultimately drains the drama of its potency.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Make sure the water from dehumidifiers and air conditioners drains somewhere that easily dries up.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deflates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflates. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
