deactivate
verb
de·ac·ti·vate
(ˌ)dē-ˈak-tə-ˌvāt 
deactivated; deactivating; deactivates
: to make inactive or ineffective
deactivate a bomb
deactivate a chemical compound
Examples of deactivate in a Sentence
deactivate the machine carefully, or you'll risk an electric shock
Recent Examples on the Web
Their campus IDs would be deactivated, making classrooms, dining halls and other parts of campus inaccessible.
—
Sharon Otterman, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
So the first step is to remove or deactivate those caps by washing a solution over the nascent microarray.
—Phillip W. Barth, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deactivate 
Sharon Otterman, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
So the first step is to remove or deactivate those caps by washing a solution over the nascent microarray.
—Phillip W. Barth, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deactivate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deactivate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near deactivate
Cite this Entry
“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deactivate. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
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Medical Definition
deactivate
transitive verb
de·ac·ti·vate
(ˈ)dē-ˈak-tə-ˌvāt
deactivated; deactivating
1
: to make inactive or ineffective
2
: to deprive of chemical activity
deactivate an enzyme
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