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 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 Ultimately, instead of reporting the user to RCMP or warning the community, OpenAI simply deactivated the account, which did nothing to prevent Van Rootselaar from making a second account. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026 Klein, senior White House reporter at CNN, also said her badge had been deactivated. — Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026 Klein reported that a Secret Service agent said her press pass had been deactivated. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deactivate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deactivate

Verb

Hundreds of Palestinians have been attacked and a few have been killed this olive harvest alone, which started in late September, rights groups have said.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Police were investigating what caused the pickup truck to barrel through a soccer field, killing a man and a child.

— Maggie Vespa, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of kill

Verb

At the start, the top three held their grid positions, but Leclerc briefly challenged Verstappen into Turn 1 before the Dutchman edged ahead by squeezing him to the track’s inside and braking later.

— Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Happily, there is an enormous amount of suspension and braking integrity to the bike, and its suite of electronics is top-notch – cornering ABS, Traction Control, and a Tyre Pressure Monitoring system are standard.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of brake

Verb

The only exception, fire officials said in a social media post Saturday evening, would be Via La Mirada north of Esperanza, which would remain shut off to vehicles because of emergency crews in the area.

— Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
As a regional Red Flag warning remains in effect through Saturday evening, Southern California Edison has shut off power to thousands of customers, primarily in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, as wildfire risks remain high.

— Julie Sharp, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of shut off

Browse Nearby Words

deacons

deactivate

deactivated

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“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deactivate. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of deactivate

verb

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