as in to kill
to cause to stop functioning
deactivate the machine carefully, or you'll risk an electric shock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 deactivate
When placed in front of him, the child either cowers backward in fear and sighs with relief when it's turned off or uses the Force to deactivate it.
—
Kirsten Acuna, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Lawsuits pointed out that OpenAI’s help center teaches banned users how to skirt the safeguards, and customer support also sends an email with the same instructions when accounts are deactivated.
—Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2026
Dach deactivated his Instagram account after receiving online criticism because his defensive lapse led to the winning goal in overtime in Game 2.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
After a debate that reportedly involved about a dozen staffers, OpenAI leaders chose to say nothing, and moved instead to deactivate Van Rootselaar’s account.
—Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Kirsten Acuna, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Lawsuits pointed out that OpenAI’s help center teaches banned users how to skirt the safeguards, and customer support also sends an email with the same instructions when accounts are deactivated.
—Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2026
Dach deactivated his Instagram account after receiving online criticism because his defensive lapse led to the winning goal in overtime in Game 2.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
After a debate that reportedly involved about a dozen staffers, OpenAI leaders chose to say nothing, and moved instead to deactivate Van Rootselaar’s account.
—Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deactivate
Verb
-
In a final battle, the Darksaber is destroyed, Gideon and his clones are seemingly killed, and the newly united Mandalorians settle back on Mandalore.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
-
Initial tests suggested the outbreak may not involve the Ebola Zaire strain, which was responsible for Congo’s devastating 2018-2020 epidemic that killed more than 1,000 people.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
This prevents the anti-lock braking system (ABS) module from running a brake pad self-adjustment routine that can contribute to the battery drain.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
-
And because there can only be an electric motor at the rear axle, not the front—supposedly out of fear that new entrant Audi would have too much of an advantage—cars could regenerate just a fraction of the total energy possible under braking.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Once Duquense Light shut off the power to the home, firefighters and rescue paramedics brought the injured worker down from the roof.—
Jennifer Borrasso,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
-
Another sore point has been that the $5 Standby Mode now costs $10 per month, even though many Starlink users have been using it as a low-cost option to keep their portable Starlink Mini dishes online rather than completely shut off access.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deactivate. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
