DEACTIVATE Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

deactivate

verb

(ˌ)dē-ˈak-tə-ˌvāt

Definition of deactivate

as in to kill

to cause to stop functioning deactivate the machine carefully, or you'll risk an electric shock

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of deactivate Technical standards and checkpoints help ensure AI systems are monitored continuously and can be audited or deactivated when risks emerge. — Jennifer C. Wolfe, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026 In 1973, the airfield was officially deactivated before transitioning into its current role as an intelligence center. — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026 This includes deactivating infrastructure, reconfiguring new tracks, integrating new signals and communication systems, and testing systems. — Nick Caloway, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 On Sunday, Bitman filed an emergency motion seeking to deactivate Evans’ e‑filing privileges while Carrot Top continues to recover. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deactivate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deactivate

Verb

Support for the populist had eroded since 16 people were killed in 2024 when a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad.

— JOVANA GEC, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
The military campaign that ensued has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of kill

Verb

One in six households can’t afford to reliably put food on their table, and Texans have had their electricity shut off at one of the highest rates in the United States.

— Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
Musk previously ordered SpaceX engineers to shut off Starlink's satellite network over Crimea to thwart a Ukrainian attack on Russian warships, according to a chapter in the 2023 Musk biography written by Walter Isaacson.

— Annie Palmer,Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of shut off

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deacons

deactivate

deactivated

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“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deactivate. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of deactivate

verb

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