deactivate
verb
de·ac·ti·vate
(ˌ)dē-ˈak-tə-ˌvāt 
deactivated; deactivating; deactivates
: to make inactive or ineffective
deactivate a bomb
deactivate a chemical compound
Examples of deactivate in a Sentence
deactivate the machine carefully, or you'll risk an electric shock
Recent Examples on the Web
What Is Raw Milk? Simply put, raw milk has not yet been pasteurized — a process of partial sterilization that kills or deactivates most bacteria and viruses.
—
Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Healy then apologized for the threats in a statement online and deactivated his account.
—Zoe G. Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Dec. 2024
Healy should know by now that deleting posts, deactivating his social media accounts, and issuing apologies does very little to mend the damage of his words.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024
To be sure, Bluesky’s size pales in comparison to X.
Musk’s site reportedly has 588 million accounts, meaning the users who have left, including more than 115,000 U.S. web users who deactivated their accounts the day after Election Day, represent a small segment of its audience.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deactivate 
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Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Healy then apologized for the threats in a statement online and deactivated his account.
—Zoe G. Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Dec. 2024
Healy should know by now that deleting posts, deactivating his social media accounts, and issuing apologies does very little to mend the damage of his words.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024
To be sure, Bluesky’s size pales in comparison to X.
Musk’s site reportedly has 588 million accounts, meaning the users who have left, including more than 115,000 U.S. web users who deactivated their accounts the day after Election Day, represent a small segment of its audience.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deactivate
Dictionary Entries Near deactivate
Cite this Entry
“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deactivate. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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Medical Definition
deactivate
transitive verb
de·ac·ti·vate
(ˈ)dē-ˈak-tə-ˌvāt
deactivated; deactivating
1
: to make inactive or ineffective
2
: to deprive of chemical activity
deactivate an enzyme
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