1
as in collapses
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 empties
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 reduces
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 undermines
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 deflates
But Grande’s conceited blonde bubblehead gains in stature here as Glinda assumes statesmanlike responsibility to spread goodness in Oz, while experiencing crushing romantic disappointment that humbles her and deflates her vanity.
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David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 18 Nov. 2025
Cade Horton’s late injury scratch deflates some of the vibes, too.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
That determination is sent back to the device, which inflates or deflates balloons with air to assist in raising or lowering the arm.
—Mack Degeurin Aug 21, Popular Science, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflates
Verb
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The trailer wastes little time establishing its pressure-cooker premise, quickly barricading five teenagers inside their high school as their hometown collapses into chaos.—
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Emergency crews work around the clock, but can only restore power for hours daily as high demand immediately collapses the fragile grid system.—
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As the room empties out, the judge says out loud that there are a number of no-shows that day.—
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The tank empties post-ride into a huge grate in the floor.—
Verb
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This reduces the risk of unforeseen physics complications needed for commercial operation, according to the Type One Energy.—
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Metro also began a tap-to-exit program at certain high-crime stations, with the idea that removing fare-jumpers also reduces crime.—
Verb
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This not only undermines local public media but also calls into question the wisdom of isolating Arkansas from a national network and associated resources that serve millions.—
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Chronic stress keeps the nervous system stuck in a fight-or-flight state that quietly undermines physical progress before a workout even begins.—
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On the morning of January 29, 2024, her family evacuates their homes in Tel al-Hawa in Gaza City.—
Verb
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The teaser plunges viewers into the world of two content creators from contrasting backgrounds who unite for a collaboration fueled by curiosity, social media clout and mutual attraction.—
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Their love scene in the rain, while obviously less visually spectacular than in the film, plunges headlong into romantic cliches that manage to get the job done despite their obviousness.—
Verb
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An overreliance on tools weakens our civilization (and saps the film’s dramatic thrills).—
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Ignoring this reality weakens any serious climate plan.—
Verb
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Cold weather drains batteries quickly.—
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The great Amazon in its north drains large areas as does the Parana-River Plate watershed to its south that reaches the Atlantic in the estuary between Argentina and Uruguay, The San Francisco flows north for hundreds of miles before hooking a right and dropping to the Atlantic.—
Cite this Entry
“Deflates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflates. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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