as in kills
to cause to stop functioning
deactivate the machine carefully, or you'll risk an electric shock
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Recent Examples of deactivates
The man looks down almost immediately after the light turns on when the light deactivates.
—
Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 10 Feb. 2026
This higher temperature darkens the paste, slightly caramelizes the sugar, and deactivates enzymes that would otherwise break down pectin, resulting in a thicker, more cooked-tasting product.
—Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 7 Jan. 2026
The heat from the water also deactivates enzymes that break down pigments.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 10 Feb. 2026
This higher temperature darkens the paste, slightly caramelizes the sugar, and deactivates enzymes that would otherwise break down pectin, resulting in a thicker, more cooked-tasting product.
—Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 7 Jan. 2026
The heat from the water also deactivates enzymes that break down pigments.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deactivates
kills
Verb
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He's not known for his power plays or penalty kills, but he is known for making friend and keeping them.—
John Lauritsen,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Everyone knows what happens — believing Juliet to be dead, Romeo takes actual poison and kills himself, causing Juliet to stab herself to death after waking up next to her lover’s lifeless corpse.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deactivates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deactivates. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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