deactivate

verb

de·​ac·​ti·​vate (ˌ)dē-ˈak-tə-ˌvāt How to pronounce deactivate (audio)
deactivated; deactivating; deactivates

transitive verb

: to make inactive or ineffective
deactivate a bomb
deactivate a chemical compound
deactivation noun

Examples of deactivate in a Sentence

deactivate the machine carefully, or you'll risk an electric shock
Recent Examples on the Web To deactivate the cling, swipe a dryer sheet on the problem surface areas. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2024 Following the Foo Fighters frontman's Sept. 10 post, Violet appeared to deactivate her Instagram account, before returning to post a carousel of images, including a dark photo of a building, an image of a gig and a selfie showing the teenager with black hair. Becca Longmire, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024 Another common criticism is that, in order to deactivate your Albert subscription, the company requires you to first transfer all of your money out so that your balance is $0. Jeff Kauflin, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 The post was immediately flagged by Snapchat, and the teen's account was deactivated. Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 20 Sep. 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.

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deactivate was in 1926

Dictionary Entries Near deactivate

Cite this Entry

“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deactivate. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

deactivate

verb
de·​ac·​ti·​vate (ˈ)dē-ˈak-tə-ˌvāt How to pronounce deactivate (audio)
: to make inactive or ineffective
deactivation noun

Medical Definition

deactivate

transitive verb
de·​ac·​ti·​vate (ˈ)dē-ˈak-tə-ˌvāt How to pronounce deactivate (audio)
deactivated; deactivating
1
: to make inactive or ineffective
2
: to deprive of chemical activity
deactivate an enzyme
deactivation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on deactivate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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