How to Use deflate in a Sentence

deflate

verb
  • The birthday balloons deflated after a few days.
  • Deflated prices mean that farmers are getting less for their products.
  • He has worked to deflate popular myths about investing.
  • The harsh criticism left him utterly deflated.
  • Press down the dough to deflate it.
    — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Jan. 2026
  • Talk about a way to deflate a fan base.
    — Peter Baugh, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2026
  • And then some voice will deflate them.
    — Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
  • Is there a way to deflate that bubble?
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Egg yolk can deflate the meringue, so be sure not to let any get in the bowl.
    — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 10 Dec. 2022
  • What gets you into high gear, ready to charge ahead, and what deflates you?
    — Anne Lackey, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
  • But those hopes soon were deflated.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Rather than deflate the Bears, the dunk seemed to inspire them.
    — New York Times, 27 Mar. 2021
  • Once the lanes were closed the balloon was deflated and pick-up.
    — Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 25 Aug. 2023
  • Scrape down sides of bowl; fold dough over onto itself to deflate.
    — Erin Hooker, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Those who took that as a hopeful sign now say their hopes are deflated.
    — Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Punch down the dough to deflate, then use two forks to fold the dough in and create a rough ball.
    — Christian Reynoso, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Apr. 2023
  • As the platform moves, hauled by a back hoe, tubes in front are deflated.
    — Anna Webb, idahostatesman, 27 Apr. 2017
  • Now the wall is gone, and the glacier looks deflated—more like an ice doormat.
    — Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
  • Let the lemons cool and deflate, then squeeze them over a strainer or sieve to catch any pulp and seeds.
    — Madeleine Luckel, Vogue, 5 Oct. 2017
  • Alaska said the tires are designed to deflate from the heat buildup from the abrupt stop.
    — Alex Sundby, CBS News, 12 Sep. 2024
  • As the platform moves, hauled by a back hoe, the tubes in front will be deflated.
    — Anna Webb, idahostatesman, 13 June 2017
  • His images show sea stars that look deflated.
    — JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Never deflate the whale while students are still around.
    — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
  • The effect will be more of a loose sauce that will deflate quickly, so serve right away.
    — Julie Harans, Bon Appétit, 7 July 2022
  • When the dough has doubled in volume (about one hour), deflate it with your fist.
    — Michelle Tchea, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 July 2024
  • Too much heat and even the most expert ’do will deflate into a swirl of limp, sweaty strands.
    — Jenny B. Davis, star-telegram.com, 3 May 2017
  • Help deflate bags with this La Roche-Posay retinol eye cream.
    — April Franzino, Good Housekeeping, 29 Apr. 2022
  • This is a bit deflating after where things stood in June.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Just having a law on the books will not deflate the balloon problem.
    — Robert Higgs, cleveland, 7 Feb. 2022
  • Their boat lay deflated on the sand, at the mercy of the surging tide.
    — Washington Post, 2 July 2018

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deflate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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