inactivate
verb
in·ac·ti·vate
(ˌ)i-ˈnak-tə-ˌvāt 
inactivated; inactivating; inactivates
: to make inactive
chemicals to inactivate viruses
Examples of inactivate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Officials say that pasteurization inactivates the virus.
—
Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2024
Although most have been inactivated at various points in mammalian history, some have kept jumping, creating large regions of repetitive sequences and mutations that are occasionally harmful when the insertion sites are in human genes.
—Bycatherine Offord, science.org, 24 Oct. 2024
The viruses are then chemically inactivated, and shot into patients’ arms.
—Stephen Buranyi, WIRED, 2 Oct. 2023
Pasteurization and adequate cooking inactivates the virus.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inactivate 
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Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2024
Although most have been inactivated at various points in mammalian history, some have kept jumping, creating large regions of repetitive sequences and mutations that are occasionally harmful when the insertion sites are in human genes.
—Bycatherine Offord, science.org, 24 Oct. 2024
The viruses are then chemically inactivated, and shot into patients’ arms.
—Stephen Buranyi, WIRED, 2 Oct. 2023
Pasteurization and adequate cooking inactivates the virus.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inactivate
Dictionary Entries Near inactivate
Cite this Entry
“Inactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inactivate. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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Medical Definition
inactivate
transitive verb
in·ac·ti·vate
(ˈ)in-ˈak-tə-ˌvāt
inactivated; inactivating
: to make inactive: as
a
: to destroy certain biological activities of
inactivate the complement of normal serum by heat
b
: to cause (as an infectious agent) to lose disease-producing capacity
inactivate bacteria
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