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
When placed in front of him, the child either cowers backward in fear and sighs with relief when it's turned off or uses the Force to deactivate it.
—
Kirsten Acuna, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
If Advanced Account Security proves to be inconvenient, users can deactivate the feature.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 30 Apr. 2026
Lawsuits pointed out that OpenAI’s help center teaches banned users how to skirt the safeguards, and customer support also sends an email with the same instructions when accounts are deactivated.
—Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2026
An OpenAI spokesperson disputed that allegation, noting that the email the company sends to users who have been deactivated does not include information about creating a new account.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
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Kirsten Acuna, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
If Advanced Account Security proves to be inconvenient, users can deactivate the feature.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 30 Apr. 2026
Lawsuits pointed out that OpenAI’s help center teaches banned users how to skirt the safeguards, and customer support also sends an email with the same instructions when accounts are deactivated.
—Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2026
An OpenAI spokesperson disputed that allegation, noting that the email the company sends to users who have been deactivated does not include information about creating a new account.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deactivate
Cite this Entry
“Deactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deactivate. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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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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