as in narcotics
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
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Recent Examples of opiates
Are laughter and lightness merely opiates, or tools of the revolution, or both, or neither?
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026
Offering 99 percent accuracy for five different drugs, this drug test has exceptional sensitivity for detecting opiates in urine.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
The illicit love story between the money launderer and the fentanyl trafficker working together to shower New England with deadly opiates came crashing down under the weight of a multi-year federal investigation.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
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
At the dawn of the 20th century, American medicines were often laced with alcohol, opiates, or narcotics.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
One state’s level is so low, an Air Force pilot can fly with up to 400 times more opiates in their system.
—Lucas Waldron, ProPublica, 6 Jan. 2026
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
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026
Offering 99 percent accuracy for five different drugs, this drug test has exceptional sensitivity for detecting opiates in urine.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
The illicit love story between the money launderer and the fentanyl trafficker working together to shower New England with deadly opiates came crashing down under the weight of a multi-year federal investigation.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
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
At the dawn of the 20th century, American medicines were often laced with alcohol, opiates, or narcotics.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
One state’s level is so low, an Air Force pilot can fly with up to 400 times more opiates in their system.
—Lucas Waldron, ProPublica, 6 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opiates
narcotics
Noun
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The drugs were seized during two interdictions in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean as part of Operation Pacific Viper, a multi-agency effort targeting narcotics trafficking routes between Central and South America and the United States.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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In 1986, Officer Jay Brunkella was fatally shot by his partner while the partner was struggling with a narcotics suspect in Rogers Park.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opiates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opiates. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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