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
Newsom had already proposed saving $82 million by deactivating 46 housing units at 13 prisons.
—
Vik Jolly, Sacramento Bee, 24 June 2024
Fire crews were delayed briefly while it was ensured all rail traffic was halted and power to the overhead catenary lines was deactivated, fire officials said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 8 May 2024
As noted by Vice and 9to5 Mac, this extends to perfectly usable M1 MacBooks from 2020, as well as entire fleets of corporate devices traded out without Activation Lock deactivated.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 11 Apr. 2024
The company said the issue stems from a defective anti-lock braking system, which in turn deactivates the stability control system.
—Eva Rothenberg, CNN, 9 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for deactivate 
Vik Jolly, Sacramento Bee, 24 June 2024
Fire crews were delayed briefly while it was ensured all rail traffic was halted and power to the overhead catenary lines was deactivated, fire officials said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 8 May 2024
As noted by Vice and 9to5 Mac, this extends to perfectly usable M1 MacBooks from 2020, as well as entire fleets of corporate devices traded out without Activation Lock deactivated.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 11 Apr. 2024
The company said the issue stems from a defective anti-lock braking system, which in turn deactivates the stability control system.
—Eva Rothenberg, CNN, 9 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for deactivate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deactivate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near deactivate
Cite this Entry
“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deactivate. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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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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