1
as in to collapse
to become smaller in size or volume due to loss of contents
We kept her birthday decorations up until the balloons started deflating.
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2
as in to empty
to make smaller in size or volume by removing the contents
Please deflate the air mattress and fold it up before you leave.
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3
as in to reduce
to make or become lower in amount or value
The excess supply deflated prices. The company's stock has deflated.
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4
as in to undermine
to cause to lose force or effectiveness
Her cutting remark deflated his ego. The lawsuit deflated their hopes for a quick resolution.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deflate
The cost of homes has been slowing deflating after the COVID-19 pandemic drove rates sky high.
—
Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 2 Sep. 2025
Scientists can estimate a few days or even a week ahead of time when lava is likely to emerge with the help of sensors around the volcano that detect earthquakes and minuscule changes in the angle of the ground, which indicate when magma is inflating or deflating.
—CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Weissert then allowed another double, this one to veteran Andrew McCutcheon, scoring Pham giving Pittsburgh the lead -- and deflating the sellout Fenway crowd of 36,344 which to that point had been at a fever pitch.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Sometimes the image or analogy that occurred to me was of sitting under a deflating parachute in gym class.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflate
Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 2 Sep. 2025
Scientists can estimate a few days or even a week ahead of time when lava is likely to emerge with the help of sensors around the volcano that detect earthquakes and minuscule changes in the angle of the ground, which indicate when magma is inflating or deflating.
—CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Weissert then allowed another double, this one to veteran Andrew McCutcheon, scoring Pham giving Pittsburgh the lead -- and deflating the sellout Fenway crowd of 36,344 which to that point had been at a fever pitch.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Sometimes the image or analogy that occurred to me was of sitting under a deflating parachute in gym class.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflate
Verb
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By this time, the Soviet Union had collapsed, leading Manuylov to start a business in the candy trade.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Luckily, the airport had a failsafe in the form of a ground material designed to collapse under the plane's weight and stop it in its tracks.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Less than two days after a report of gunfire sent people running at Worlds of Fun Saturday night, emptying the amusement park on the first night of their Halloween Haunt event, police have determined the noises were caused by fireworks.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
16 Sep. 2025
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Different causes, same results — urinary flow is blocked, and the bladder cannot empty properly.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The researchers believe that the benefit likely comes from aspirin acting in several ways – by reducing inflammation and inhibiting platelet function and tumor growth.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
18 Sep. 2025
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In 2016, court filings indicate Gamez Lira was charged with possession of marijuana but ultimately pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after the charges were reduced.—
Armando Garcia,
ABC News,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This slow adoption stems from a low tolerance for errors, past disappointments with AI and a belief that years of legal training shouldn't be undermined by machine learning—all valid perspectives widely discussed in the industry.—
Matthew Sole,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Here's one simple mistake that can undermine all your pasta-making efforts.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Why Prostate Cancer Often Presents Without Symptoms In the early stages of prostate cancer, the disease is generally confined to the prostate, so the tumor does not block or compress any nearby organs—nor cause any symptoms, Eswara explained.—
Jenna Anderson,
Health,
18 Sep. 2025
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Margins in the cannabis industry are significantly compressed due to federal tax restrictions, supply chain inefficiencies, and high operating expenses.—
Iris Dorbian,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That change could flood the program with claims, rapidly drain it, and give manufacturers another reason to pull away from making vaccines.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
18 Sep. 2025
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Some clogs may be visible from the top of your drain that will also indicate a slow-draining sink.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Local police sought to have an alert sent out the Friday before they were found dead, but the agency that manages the program in Washington state declined to do so.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
19 Sep. 2025
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Investors eventually demanded their money back, causing Artamonov to return less than $400,000 by paying original investors with money from new investors or by declining to reimburse them at all, the indictment said.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Foreign powers such as Russia and China, which challenge America and its allies from Europe to the Middle East to Taiwan and the South China Sea, have long been accused of exploiting such divisions through disinformation campaigns that inflame tensions and weaken confidence in American governance.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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But around the equinoxes, the natural buffer weakens.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deflate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflate. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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