inactivate
verb
in·ac·ti·vate
| \ (ˌ)i-ˈnak-tə-ˌvāt
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inactivated;
inactivating;
inactivates
Definition of inactivate
: to make inactive
chemicals to inactivate viruses
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Other Words from inactivate
inactivation
\ (ˌ)i-ˌnak-tə-ˈvā-shən
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noun
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noun
Examples of inactivate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This treatment is also effective for inactivating arsenic in soil. — Washington Post, "If you’re worried your soil is contaminated, get it tested," 27 Aug. 2019 Neu5Gc was lost when the mutation in prehumans inactivated a gene called CMAH, functional in other animals. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Heart disease is the price of becoming human, UCSD study finds," 22 July 2019 Some scientists have been inactivating CCR5 in blood cells of people already infected with HIV, to help keep the virus under control. — Malcolm Ritter, latimes.com, "Gene mutation protects against HIV but comes with heightened risk of death," 3 June 2019 Some scientists have been inactivating CCR5 in blood cells of people already infected with HIV, to help keep the virus under control. — NBC News, "China's gene-edited twins may face risk of early death," 3 June 2019 Chadwick has spent his entire career trying to understand how the body inactivates one copy of the X chromosome. — Quanta Magazine, "Genetic Architects Untwist DNA’s Turns," 27 Oct. 2016 The shot contains inactivated (completely dead) or incomplete strains of the influenza virus, while the nasal spray contains live attenuated (weakened) strains. — Korin Miller, SELF, "No, Flu Shot Side Effects Don’t Mean That the Vaccine Gave You the Flu," 20 Nov. 2018 But whereas key genes controlling eye development in naked mole rats have mutations that inactivate them, there are no such inactivating mutations in the genes of the Mexican cave fish. — Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, "An evolutionary adaptation that doesn’t directly rely on new mutations," 1 June 2018 The process by which the viruses in the vaccine were supposed to be inactivated — killed — hadn’t worked. — Helen Branswell, STAT, "The vaccine dilemma: How experts weigh benefits for many against risks for a few," 23 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inactivate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for inactivate
inactivate
transitive verb
in·ac·ti·vate
| \ (ˈ)in-ˈak-tə-ˌvāt
\
\
inactivated;
inactivating
Medical Definition of inactivate
: 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
Other Words from inactivate
inactivation
\ (ˌ)in-ˌak-tə-ˈvā-shən
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noun
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noun
inactivator
\ -ˌvāt-ər
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noun
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noun