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
When European settlers arrived in the 17th and 18th centuries, many used marijuana as an ingredient in medicine for ailments like cholera, alcoholism, opiate addiction and asthma, according to the Rockefeller Institute of Government. Greta Cross, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025 In the Portland area, health officials said 56% of cases were among people experiencing homelessness and 55% of cases reported methamphetamine and/or opiate usage. Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
Ventura said the hip-hop mogul was once addicted to opiates and overdosed in 2012. Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 15 May 2025 Both my niece and then later my sister reached out to me because my niece has been using opiates heavily which cost her a job and almost led to her being incarcerated. R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for opiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opiate
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, every spring in Baja, Mexico, mobula rays gather by the thousands, swirling in a hypnotic vortex.
    Rona Berg, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • Along with guitarist Mike Campbell and Petty himself, Tench was with the Heartbreakers from their formation in 1976 all the way to their final show in 2017, toggling between the piano and Hammond organ as Petty’s kick-ass spellcaster who flew through songs like a hypnotic spiral.
    Devon Ivie, Vulture, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • Court records show that an investigation determined that Foote was trafficking narcotics in and around Waterbury.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 28 May 2025
  • But the agency has recently renewed a push to tighten security around mail citing a smuggling tactic where pages of letters or books are soaked with narcotics.
    Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • According to the municipal code, tranquilizers can be used as a means of capture.
    Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025
  • The amount of fentanyl appears to be dropping (see above), while the amount of animal tranquilizers, such as medetomidine and xylazine, is rising.
    Brian Mann, NPR, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The Food and Drug Administration has formally approved the use of ketamine only as an anesthetic in medical procedures.
    Kirsten Grind, New York Times, 30 May 2025
  • Xenon is expensive, which has limited its use as an anesthetic and in athletics.
    Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 29 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Opiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opiate. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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