as in to kill
to cause to stop functioning
deactivate the machine carefully, or you'll risk an electric shock
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Recent Examples of deactivate
Since the start of 2026, over 20 American towns and cities have deactivated their Flock cameras or cancelled their contracts.
—
Harry Booth,
Time,
26 June 2026
In the wake of the allegations, Gilbert deactivated her accounts on Instagram and Threads and did not return to social media until May 12.
—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 June 2026
Researchers still need to determine how to deactivate the protein once treatment is no longer necessary.
—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Following the Illinois Secretary of State’s audit, some communities, like Evanston and Oak Park, deactivated their Flock cameras and ended their agreements with the company.
—
Jennifer Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Harry Booth,
Time,
26 June 2026
In the wake of the allegations, Gilbert deactivated her accounts on Instagram and Threads and did not return to social media until May 12.
—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 June 2026
Researchers still need to determine how to deactivate the protein once treatment is no longer necessary.
—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Following the Illinois Secretary of State’s audit, some communities, like Evanston and Oak Park, deactivated their Flock cameras and ended their agreements with the company.
—
Jennifer Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deactivate
Verb
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Massive explosions lit up the night sky as ballistic missiles and drones hammered parts of the city, killing at least 14 people in the city and three others in the surrounding region, with dozens more wounded, city officials said.
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Alicent and Helaena will be held prisoner until Aemond is found and killed.
Verb
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The system uses a three-level braking architecture that combines retarder braking, electric braking, and mechanical braking to improve safety during operation under demanding mining conditions.
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If modern vehicles are so reliant on software for everything from displaying driving speeds to braking in some models, free OTA software updates could save drivers the hassle of bringing their cars into an authorized dealer for repairs.
Verb
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With extreme fire conditions persisting in Utah, Rocky Mountain Power also shut off power lines serving Beaver County and other areas.
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Two weeks ago, Lutnick invoked export control authorities to require Anthropic to shut off access to its two most capable systems, Mythos 5 and Fable 5, citing threats to national security.
Cite this Entry
“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deactivate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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