deactivate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cause to be inactive; remove the effectiveness of.
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to demobilize or disband (a military unit).
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to render (a bomb, shell, or the like) inoperative, especially by disconnecting, removing, or otherwise interfering with the action of the fuze.
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Chemistry. to render (a chemical, enzyme, catalyst, etc.) inactive.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to make (a bomb, etc) harmless or inoperative
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(intr) to become less radioactive
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(tr) to end the active status of (a military unit)
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chem to return or cause to return from an activated state to a normal or ground state
Other Word Forms
- deactivation noun
- deactivator noun
Etymology
Origin of deactivate
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nearly 50 cities nationwide have opted to deactivate their scanners or cancel contracts with Flock, mostly in recent months, according to the website DeFlock.me, which has set out to map locations of the company’s cameras.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026
He added that "social media platforms will then have until December 31 to deactivate existing accounts" that do not comply with the age limit.
From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026
The long polymer chains in single-use plastics are extremely stable, and contaminants in waste streams can quickly deactivate traditional catalysts.
From Science Daily • Jan. 24, 2026
Australia's ban - touted as a world-first - will mean Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube must take "reasonable steps" to prevent those under 16 years from creating accounts and deactivate existing ones.
From BBC • Oct. 31, 2025
And then, when nothing happened—as nothing would—he would apply the neutralizing compound to deactivate it so it didn’t just drip down the impervious metal and eat its way into the ground.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
