opiate 1 of 2

opiate

2 of 2

noun

as in narcotic
something that soothes, calms, or induces passivity or a sense of security a cultural critic who argues that the Internet has now joined television as an opiate of the American people

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 opiate
Adjective
After opiate addiction, eating disorders are the psychiatric illness with the highest mortality rate in the U.S. Clein believes social media platforms have a responsibility to address how their algorithms promote these videos. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2025 When European settlers arrived in the 17th and 18th centuries, many used marijuana as an ingredient in medicine for ailments like cholera, alcoholism, opiate addiction and asthma, according to the Rockefeller Institute of Government. Greta Cross, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
Through the lens of harm reduction, a glass of wine seems benign, certainly less harmful than opiates. Devan Díaz, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2025 Combs overdosed on painkillers in 2012, Ventura testifies Combs overdosed on painkillers in February 2012 and for a time had an addiction to opiates, Ventura testified. Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for opiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opiate
Adjective
  • Your use of long takes and hypnotic camera movement has become a signature.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025
  • To achieve the scene's hypnotic slow-motion effect, Anderson asked his actors to move unnaturally fast, leading del Toro to question whether the technique would translate on screen.
    EW.com, EW.com, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • After Guest was taken into custody, a search of the vehicle found multiple paraphernalia and narcotics.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 10 June 2025
  • This demonstration will feature the skill set to find specific odors such as narcotics, explosives and wildlife.
    Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2025
Noun
  • According to the municipal code, tranquilizers can be used as a means of capture.
    Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025
  • The amount of fentanyl appears to be dropping (see above), while the amount of animal tranquilizers, such as medetomidine and xylazine, is rising.
    Brian Mann, NPR, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • It’s been used as an anesthetic on occasion since the 1950s, says Robert Dickinson, a senior lecturer in medicine at Imperial College London.
    Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 29 May 2025
  • Lidocaine is a local anesthetic that stops pain by blocking the signals at the nerve endings in the skin, according to the Mayo Clinic.
    Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Opiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opiate. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.

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