opiate 1 of 2

opiate

2 of 2

noun

as in narcotic
something that soothes, calms, or induces passivity or a sense of security a cultural critic who argues that the Internet has now joined television as an opiate of the American people

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of opiate
Adjective
Thousands of inmates wrongly tested positive for opiate use inside California state prisons last year because of a laboratory mistake, and civil rights attorneys now worry many of them could be denied parole and a chance at freedom because of it. Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025 Craig’s performance is big, sometimes explosively so, and requires not only affected charm, but also deep sadness, the physical turmoil of opiate withdrawal, and some bumbling in the jungle. Rich Juzwiak, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
The child tested positive for fentanyl and opiates, officials said. Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2025 According to federal experts, fentanyl can be made cheaply and in large quantities in labs, and is far more potent than natural opiates like heroin or morphine. Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for opiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opiate
Adjective
  • This week, Tyler, the Creator surprise releases a dance-forward LP, Drake teams up with Central Cee for a hypnotic club banger, and Lola Young delivers some sunny escapism.
    Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 25 July 2025
  • Osbourne sang in the high howl of a man being burned at the stake, and his melodies unfolded in a slow, hypnotic smolder.
    Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 23 July 2025
Noun
  • This was when my mug shot was taken in a Chicago jail in 2002, after I had been arrested for felony possession of narcotics.
    Michael W. Clune, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
  • Authorities notably seized narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant at Combs’ homes in Miami and Los Angeles during the raids last year.
    Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025
Noun
  • She was charged for intentionally distributing a drug called Tranq — a mix of Fentanyl and the animal tranquilizer Xylazine.
    Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 7 July 2025
  • The drug, which is commonly used as a tranquilizer for large animals in veterinary medicine, causes extreme sedation, slow breathing and skin ulcers when ingested by humans.
    Molly Gibbs, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2025
Noun
  • After numbing the scrotal skin with a local anesthetic, the urologist makes a small opening in the skin, often so small that no stitches or scalpels are needed.
    Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 1 June 2025
  • When that had little effect, hospital staff gave him ketamine, an anesthetic used for surgery, and Estupinan was intubated for his safety.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 10 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Opiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opiate. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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