opiate 1 of 2

Definition of opiatenext

opiate

2 of 2

noun

as in narcotic
something that soothes, calms, or induces passivity or a sense of security a cultural critic who argues that the Internet has now joined television as an opiate of the American people

Synonyms & Similar 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 opiate
Adjective
Some researchers, concerned by reports of antidepressant withdrawal, suggest that the underlying mechanisms are similar to those faced by people suffering from alcohol and opiate withdrawal. David Cox, NBC news, 30 Nov. 2025 Taylor has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disease, and an opiate use disorder. Jeff Nguyen, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Noun
Two weeks prior, Francisco Manzo had started detoxing himself from opiates and was still experiencing symptoms of acute withdrawal syndrome and had not slept well, the attorney said. Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2026 But Clarke is worried about patients losing out on things like steroid injections, which help manage pain without opiates or surgery. Jillian Taylor, StateImpact, 16 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for opiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opiate
Adjective
  • The hypnotic motifs and stylized figures in these collections lit a fuse for Nilsson and her peers, seeding a fascination with non-Western art that has continued throughout her career.
    Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
  • The haunting and hypnotic story follows stepbrothers Niall (Mitchell Robertson as a teen, Jamie Bell as an adult) and Ruben (Stuart Campell as a teen, Gadd as an adult) over 30 years, as their uneasy yet unshakeable bond becomes an increasingly toxic relationship.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • Investigators found more than 92 pounds of narcotics, including cocaine, MDMA, Xanax and marijuana — marking the largest drug seizure in Miami Gardens Police Department history, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
    Sofia Saric June 10, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
  • Mendoza is charged with multiple offenses, including possession of narcotics with intent to sell, assault on a police officer, reckless endangerment, and operating an unregistered and uninsured motor vehicle.
    Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 5 June 2026
Noun
  • There are sedatives such as xylazine, street-named Tranq, an animal tranquilizer that can cause fleshrotting skin lesions and is frequently mixed with fentanyl.
    The Week US, TheWeek, 18 May 2026
  • Naloxone, the ingredient in Narcan, is an antidote for opioid overdoses, but because xylazine is not an opioid, the emergency medicine only stops the effects of fentanyl, not the tranquilizer, making those who overdose more likely to have lethal repercussions.
    Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 17 May 2026
Noun
  • Perry, who had long struggled with addiction and wrote about it in a memoir, illegally obtained the powerful dissociative anesthetic from at least two sources.
    City News Service, Daily News, 27 May 2026
  • The actor had been taking the surgical anesthetic ketamine legally for depression, an increasingly common off-label use.
    Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Opiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opiate. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.

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