as in hypnotic
tending to cause sleep
morphine is an opiate drug
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in narcotic
something that soothes, calms, or induces passivity or a sense of security
a cultural critic who argues that the Internet has now joined television as an opiate of the American people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of opiate
Sam Blum, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Apparently, the chair was missing its appendix, a lever manufactured in Hungary roughly the same shape and size as sticks of an opiate called Thebaine.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
Jillian Taylor, StateImpact, 16 Jan. 2026
At the dawn of the 20th century, American medicines were often laced with alcohol, opiates, or narcotics.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opiate
Adjective
Skaggs’ attorneys utilized last week’s testimony to establish how a team doctor’s opiate prescriptions exacerbated Eric Kay’s addiction, and how, according to multiple former employees, that addiction became evident throughout the organization.
—Sam Blum, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Apparently, the chair was missing its appendix, a lever manufactured in Hungary roughly the same shape and size as sticks of an opiate called Thebaine.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
But Clarke is worried about patients losing out on things like steroid injections, which help manage pain without opiates or surgery.
—Jillian Taylor, StateImpact, 16 Jan. 2026
At the dawn of the 20th century, American medicines were often laced with alcohol, opiates, or narcotics.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opiate
Adjective
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Universal wrapped the coaster cars in a hypnotic geometric black-and-white zebra design to obscure the ride vehicles.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
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Other artists of this era sought to intervene, guerrilla style, in the apparatuses of advertising, in order to shake consumers from their hypnotic slumber.—
Michael Cowan,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Two people were also arrested for allegedly engaging police in pursuit and a man who was charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
5 Feb. 2026
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Following that purchase, Lower Burrell police and Westmoreland County detectives executed a search warrant and found several products that were Schedule I narcotics throughout the store.—
Patrick Damp,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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After that, officials decided to use tranquilizer darts to take down the animals believed to be the three adults in the pack before euthanizing them.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Recent years, for example, have seen a major increase in adulteration with the horse tranquilizer xylazine, which knocks users out but doesn’t satisfy the opioid craving.—
Charles Fain Lehman,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Slow-walked the trial use of the fast-acting anesthetic ketamine by paramedics, who were able to administer only four doses in six months under his stewardship.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
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In practice, this gives it mild pain-relieving effects, rather than acting as a strong anesthetic.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opiate. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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