deflated; deflating
1
: to release air or gas from
deflate a tire
2
: to reduce in size, importance, or effectiveness
deflate his ego with cutting remarks
3
: to reduce (a price level) or cause (a volume of credit) to contract
: to lose firmness through or as if through the escape of contained gas
de·fla·tor
-tə(r)
plural -s
: one that deflates
specifically
: a ratio or percentage by which monetary quantities are reduced to eliminate the effect of higher prices
Examples of deflate in a Sentence
Verb
The birthday balloons deflated after a few days.
The harsh criticism left him utterly deflated.
an insult that would deflate their egos
He has worked to deflate popular myths about investing.
Deflated prices mean that farmers are getting less for their products.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tammy Mutasa, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Hilton responded with a quip that quickly deflated the attack.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
No question, the end of the season was deflating and demoralizing.
—Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 5 June 2026
However, the Iran conflict poses a longer-term threat to Dubai’s appeal to expatriate workers and firms looking to establish operations in the region which could deflate the real estate market.
—Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deflate
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.
Verb
Franklin Police As the pursuit continued through Franklin, officers successfully deployed stop sticks on Grove Street to deflate the truck's tires.
—Tammy Mutasa, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Hilton responded with a quip that quickly deflated the attack.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
No question, the end of the season was deflating and demoralizing.
—Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 5 June 2026
However, the Iran conflict poses a longer-term threat to Dubai’s appeal to expatriate workers and firms looking to establish operations in the region which could deflate the real estate market.
—Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deflate
Cite this Entry
“Deflate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflate. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
