as in hypnotic
tending to cause sleep
morphine is an opiate drug
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of opiate
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
The threat from fentanyl is not a foreign nation, but someone in a basement lab who can prompt AI properly to generate the synthetic opiate.
—Ibrahim Al-Marashi, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Oct. 2025
Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025
This was Elvis ready to lean into his anti-establishment powers as a certified young stud, years before a series of bad career movies, a never-ending Las Vegas residency and an addiction to opiates that contributed to his death at 42.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opiate
Adjective
Apparently, the chair was missing its appendix, a lever manufactured in Hungary roughly the same shape and size as sticks of an opiate called Thebaine.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
The threat from fentanyl is not a foreign nation, but someone in a basement lab who can prompt AI properly to generate the synthetic opiate.
—Ibrahim Al-Marashi, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
According to a coroner’s report obtained by TMZ, Peterson reportedly had a deadly cocktail of prescription drugs in her system at the time of her death, including benzodiazepines, opiates and phenothiazines (an anti-psychotic medication).
—Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025
This was Elvis ready to lean into his anti-establishment powers as a certified young stud, years before a series of bad career movies, a never-ending Las Vegas residency and an addiction to opiates that contributed to his death at 42.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opiate
Adjective
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Other artists of this era sought to intervene, guerrilla style, in the apparatuses of advertising, in order to shake consumers from their hypnotic slumber.—
Michael Cowan,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
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Corey’s enormous productions and Ritchie’s conversational flows feel hypnotic in dark rooms over large sound systems, but on an intimate listen, moments like these meander.—
Benny Sun,
Pitchfork,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Two people were also arrested for allegedly engaging police in pursuit and a man who was charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
5 Feb. 2026
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Following that purchase, Lower Burrell police and Westmoreland County detectives executed a search warrant and found several products that were Schedule I narcotics throughout the store.—
Patrick Damp,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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After that, officials decided to use tranquilizer darts to take down the animals believed to be the three adults in the pack before euthanizing them.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Recent years, for example, have seen a major increase in adulteration with the horse tranquilizer xylazine, which knocks users out but doesn’t satisfy the opioid craving.—
Charles Fain Lehman,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Slow-walked the trial use of the fast-acting anesthetic ketamine by paramedics, who were able to administer only four doses in six months under his stewardship.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
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In practice, this gives it mild pain-relieving effects, rather than acting as a strong anesthetic.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opiate. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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