1
as in compressed
to become smaller in size or volume due to loss of contents
We kept her birthday decorations up until the balloons started deflating.
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2
as in emptied
to make smaller in size or volume by removing the contents
Please deflate the air mattress and fold it up before you leave.
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3
as in reduced
to make or become lower in amount or value
The excess supply deflated prices. The company's stock has deflated.
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4
as in weakened
to cause to lose force or effectiveness
Her cutting remark deflated his ego. The lawsuit deflated their hopes for a quick resolution.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deflated
Petra Guglielmetti, Glamour, 16 Apr. 2026
The Illini had trouble getting in an extended flow and at times looked deflated.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Any sense of achievement is just so deflated.
—Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2026
Feeling like a deflated balloon.
—Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2026
If nothing else, Rodgers would take out the frustration of a first-round playoff defeat on the 22-year-old Bullock and deny him a chance to celebrate in front of 67,297 deflated fans.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Some baristas may feel deflated watching Starbucks employees notch union victories without ratified contracts to show for it.
—Bryce Covert, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Nov. 2025
Brady himself was caught throwing deflated footballs.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
There was even a deflated version of his first look, where the material turned into an embroidery-like flurry.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
The optimistic mood inside the ground instantly deflated.
—Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
If plants look deflated or heavily wilted after a wind lashing, this is a sign of water loss.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
The chair is also easy to ship, fitting into a box that’s not much larger than a typical IKEA flatpack package when deflated.
—Joseph Erbentraut, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Apr. 2026
Those who took that as a hopeful sign now say their hopes are deflated.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
The crowd, which included Brazilian great Ronaldo, seemed stunned and deflated.
—Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
But that’s when Doncic fell, and the wheels that had already deflated, fell off.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
During her own eighth grade trip to Washington, DC, Laymon remembers feeling deflated, after not seeing women’s stories reflected at any of the attractions in the nation’s capital.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
From my tried-and-true tactics (getting 10,000 daily steps, running, doing Pilates, not snacking after dinner) to emerging advice (lifting heavier weights, eating all the protein), each fresh burst of motivation only leaves me more deflated.
—Petra Guglielmetti, Glamour, 16 Apr. 2026
The Illini had trouble getting in an extended flow and at times looked deflated.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Any sense of achievement is just so deflated.
—Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2026
Feeling like a deflated balloon.
—Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2026
If nothing else, Rodgers would take out the frustration of a first-round playoff defeat on the 22-year-old Bullock and deny him a chance to celebrate in front of 67,297 deflated fans.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Some baristas may feel deflated watching Starbucks employees notch union victories without ratified contracts to show for it.
—Bryce Covert, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Nov. 2025
Brady himself was caught throwing deflated footballs.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
There was even a deflated version of his first look, where the material turned into an embroidery-like flurry.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
Johnson subsequently lost control of the truck after its tires deflated and fled on foot.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
The optimistic mood inside the ground instantly deflated.
—Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
If plants look deflated or heavily wilted after a wind lashing, this is a sign of water loss.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
The chair is also easy to ship, fitting into a box that’s not much larger than a typical IKEA flatpack package when deflated.
—Joseph Erbentraut, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Apr. 2026
Those who took that as a hopeful sign now say their hopes are deflated.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
The crowd, which included Brazilian great Ronaldo, seemed stunned and deflated.
—Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
But that’s when Doncic fell, and the wheels that had already deflated, fell off.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
During her own eighth grade trip to Washington, DC, Laymon remembers feeling deflated, after not seeing women’s stories reflected at any of the attractions in the nation’s capital.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflated
Adjective
-
When first responders arrived at the scene, authorities discovered that staff at the venue and wedding guests had already provided initial first aid to some guests and used ladders to help those who fell through the collapsed floor.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
22 Mar. 2026
-
But even in a semi-collapsed state, people want family and children and vacations, and so Caroline somewhat reluctantly joins Adam and a cohort of others on Haven.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Sparks worked on building their 2026 roster long before the WNBA’s compressed free agency period tipped off.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The attached marathon seasons, compressed offseasons and challenging schedules that came with that stature also included generally being relegated to the posterior of the draft.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With the house emptied of living (and costumed) guests, its furnishings, in all their liveliness, appear only to mask an unnatural torpor.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
The canoe was about half emptied when a big wave came along and filled it again.—
Jim Hoagland,
Outdoor Life,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But since the war began, traffic has been reduced to a trickle, with just 154 vessels recorded crossing in the entire month of March, according to Kpler data.—
Henrik Pettersson,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
-
While there is no question that KU Med is at fault for failing to disinfect the heater-cooler devices, Johnson said, LivaNova should have ensured that the hospital was strictly following its instructions for use, which would have reduced the risk of bacteria spreading.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This has been a story of unforeseen incidents, such as the unnoticed approach of the storm and the capsizing in front of high cliffs that prevented us from swimming ashore before the cold water had weakened us.—
Jim Hoagland,
Outdoor Life,
30 Apr. 2026
-
For Caracas, the engagement offers a chance to attract foreign capital and revive industries weakened by years of mismanagement and sanctions.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Braun drained the shot and pointed at his former Nuggets teammate.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The Lakers were cooked, the playoff magic finally drained from a team without its two leading scorers, a team in the process of making every conceivable mistake, reality bouncing off their feet and ricocheting off their hips and falling out of their hands.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At its center is the story of a boy named Zac Brettler, who in November 2019, at the age of nineteen, plunged to his death from a balcony on the fifth floor of an upscale apartment complex a few minutes’ walk along the Thames from Tate Britain.—
Mark O’Connell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Milei’s popularity plummets amid corruption scandal in Argentina Argentinian President Javier Milei’s popularity plunged to a new low, as rising unemployment and a burgeoning corruption scandal threatened his ambitious economic program and prospects for reelection next year.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a statement, District Attorney Alvin Bragg said prosecutors had interviewed dozens of witnesses and conducted an in-depth document review that significantly undermined the case presented at trial.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Trump’s attempts to interfere with the Fed’s decision-making has sparked concern the central bank’s credibility post-Powell is already being undermined.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deflated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflated. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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