opiate 1 of 2

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
When European settlers arrived in the 17th and 18th centuries, many used marijuana as an ingredient in medicine for ailments like cholera, alcoholism, opiate addiction and asthma, according to the Rockefeller Institute of Government. Greta Cross, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025 In the Portland area, health officials said 56% of cases were among people experiencing homelessness and 55% of cases reported methamphetamine and/or opiate usage. Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
The child also tested positive for exposure to opiates. Mark Price, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2025 During a search of his vehicle, officers allegedly located an off-white powder substance which tested positive for opiates along with two other substances which tested positive for cocaine, police said. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for opiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opiate
Adjective
  • In the room with us in Valencia, the dolls eyes’ are hypnotic, carrying a trace of malevolence.
    Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025
  • Shot in the Colombian desert, this new film is nothing short of hypnotic.
    Marta Balaga, Variety, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • The Miami Police Department said its officers were serving a narcotics warrant.
    Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The sector’s chief patrol agent, Gregory K. Bovino, posted on social media that agents detained two child rapists and other criminals and retrieved 36 pounds of narcotics.
    Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In 1980, Gallup asked whether Americans would object strongly to some presidential behaviors, including using tranquilizers occasionally (36% did), seeing a psychiatrist (30%), wearing jeans occasionally in the Oval Office (21%) and having a cocktail before dinner each night (14%).
    Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
  • However, in some cases, such as capturing and restraining a wild animal to relocate it, workers use tranquilizers or sedatives to make the animal sleepy, or cover its eyes and ears to reduce fear and prevent long-lasting problems.
    Rachel Blaser, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • This combination of epinephrine and local anesthetic has captured his attention over the years.
    PJ Bremier, Mercury News, 12 May 2025
  • Around the world, some clinics are reconsidering what items can be reused or recycled, as well as beginning to phase out an anesthetic known as desflurane, one bottle of which is equivalent to driving a gas car 2,200 miles..
    Simmone Shah, Time, 22 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Opiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opiate. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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