deflating

verb

present participle of deflate
1
as in collapsing
to become smaller in size or volume due to loss of contents We kept her birthday decorations up until the balloons started deflating.

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2
as in emptying
to make smaller in size or volume by removing the contents Please deflate the air mattress and fold it up before you leave.

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3
as in declining
to make or become lower in amount or value The excess supply deflated prices. The company's stock has deflated.

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4
as in undermining
to cause to lose force or effectiveness Her cutting remark deflated his ego. The lawsuit deflated their hopes for a quick resolution.

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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 deflating Will tonight cement the Bass-Raman trilogy as an electoral classic — or end it on a deflating note? — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 Despite some promise across its eight episodes, the Prime original series builds to a deflating conclusion that dooms the entire project. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026 Europe has long charged Beijing with deflating the yuan, by perhaps as much as 30%, and pursuing a policy of industrial overcapacity that harms European industries. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Stop sticks were deployed, which were successful in deflating one or more of the Subaru’s tires, according to investigators with the Office of Inspector General. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 3 Oct. 2026 One notable rotation adjustment following Sunday's deflating loss was the flip in minutes between Sophie Cunningham and rookie Raven Johnson. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026 Wild indri lemurs, the only species of lemur known to sing, project sounds more like a deflating balloon than Bizet, but those vocalizations can travel through a thick forest. — ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026 This walk-off rescued the Guardians from a deflating defeat that would have delivered a seismic blow to their AL Central chances. — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 But instead of settling for a deflating draw, Boise flipped the switch, starting attacking again and emerged with all three points. — Idaho Statesman, 9 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflating
  1. collapsing
  2. emptying
  3. declining
  4. undermining
  5. dripping
  6. draining
  7. reducing
  8. weakening
Verb
  • His message delivery is no more successful than Todd’s, and now the entire conference is in danger of collapsing.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The wounded man fled across the parking lot before collapsing near Seminary Drive, where responding officers attempted lifesaving measures.
    — Giles Hudson, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of collapsing
Verb
  • The show and encore, which take up a little over an hour, are bookended by scenes of concertgoers filling the room and then emptying it.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The high school gymnasium that held the event was packed, though crowds began emptying out about halfway through the 90-minute rally.
    — Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of emptying
Verb
  • Women naturally store less creatine than men, and during perimenopause and menopause, declining estrogen can take a toll on both muscle health and mental clarity.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The result has been sturdy economic growth, even as lower-income and even middle-income households have continued to struggle under stubborn inflation and declining earnings.
    — Rob Wile, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of declining
Verb
  • Iran and its Houthi allies are now undermining both of those operations.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The Navy desperately needs more subs, and Baltimore stands to gain thousands of jobs, but making the primary customer a 40 percent owner of a new facility risks undermining market discipline.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of undermining
Verb
  • Amal, 48, opted for a liquid gold off-the-shoulder gown dripping in beaded fringe.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In a twist on tailoring, jackets dripping with fringe made their way down the runway at Monse.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of dripping
Verb
  • Eating triggers saliva production, but a stone can keep the saliva from draining, causing the gland to swell.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • On the ground floor, outside the main building, a humanoid was flat on its back after draining its battery during a demo.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of draining
Verb
  • While serving as a public health official, el Sayed wrote an op-ed in 2019 strongly supporting the Green New Deal, arguing that reducing greenhouse gas emissions will help improve public health.
    — Maydeen Merino, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Together, the tools could help accelerate the development of more resilient electric motor systems while reducing the risks associated with critical material shortages, volatile supply chains and rapidly changing global markets.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of reducing
Verb
  • Mortgage demand continues to drop sharply, as buyers face higher prices and weakening affordability.
    — Diana Olick, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The upper-level trough over the western United States will gradually advance eastward, weakening the influence of the ridge that has kept us hot and relatively dry.
    — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakening

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Cite this Entry

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

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