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
The maps have been deactivated while they are updated.
—
Julia Buckley, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025
Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.
—Bay Area Weather Report, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Per multiple outlets, including InStyle and Cosmopolitan, her husband Justin Bieber's Instagram account got deactivated (then reactivated) after going live on the app, and in the wake of that, Hailey appeared to unfollow the singer from her own profile.
—Michelle Lee, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Hoover spoke out in support of Blake at the end of last year, but then deactivated her Instagram in January and returned with photos of the cast of the film scrubbed from her account.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Julia Buckley, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025
Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.
—Bay Area Weather Report, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Per multiple outlets, including InStyle and Cosmopolitan, her husband Justin Bieber's Instagram account got deactivated (then reactivated) after going live on the app, and in the wake of that, Hailey appeared to unfollow the singer from her own profile.
—Michelle Lee, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Hoover spoke out in support of Blake at the end of last year, but then deactivated her Instagram in January and returned with photos of the cast of the film scrubbed from her account.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deactivate
Verb
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Rick kills one of the security men, as Chelsea is shot in the chest.—
Colleen Kratofil,
People.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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And when Jake is distracted and momentarily taken aback after getting a fleeting glance of his nephew, Banner fires two bullets into Clyde before Clyde can kill Jake.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The braking tail-light also boasts turn signaling, which is activated from the handlebar.—
Paul Ridden,
New Atlas,
26 Feb. 2025
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The switch between regenerative and friction braking during a single pedal movement can cause a vehicle's brakes to grab differently resulting in a slow or stop that is not smooth.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Many projects that had received small amounts of funding to start construction planning suddenly had that funding shut off.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
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The survey was conducted at the end of March, after the contentious Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelensky, which resulted in a temporary shut off of U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing, critical assistance in Kyiv’s defense against Russia.—
Laura Kelly,
The Hill,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deactivate. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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