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
  • Hair follicle testing confirmed exposure to sedative-hypnotic drugs, but surveillance footage was destroyed after the hotel’s 30-day retention period elapsed before her preservation request could be honored.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 June 2026
  • His sustained concentration throughout the 70-minute performance was hypnotic.
    Thomas Rom, ARTnews.com, 8 June 2026
Noun
  • The Eastern Pacific remains a key corridor for narcotics trafficking, with criminal organizations frequently using small vessels to move drugs toward North America.
    Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
  • Since then, the United States and Venezuela have expanded cooperation in areas that include energy policy, migration, counter-narcotics and regional security.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 17 June 2026
Noun
  • On Tuesday afternoon, the bear was found on a private property and shot by a veterinarian with a tranquilizer gun, city official Ryuhei Irie said.
    ABC News, ABC News, 9 June 2026
  • 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
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 21 Jun. 2026.

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