: a sudden sharp decline of a population of animals or plants that is not caused directly by human activity
died off; dying off; dies off
: to die sequentially either singly or in numbers so that the total number is greatly diminished
Examples of die-off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Amy Green, Miami Herald, 27 Nov. 2025
That report, authored by 160 scientists from 87 institutions in 23 countries, warns that warm-water coral reefs that support nearly a billion people and a quarter of all marine life are crossing their tipping point, as evidenced by mass die-offs already under way.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025
North Carolina's tricolored bats are unstable, among several species of bats quickly dying off in the dark.
—Dave Malkoff, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for die-off
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Noun
Slightly more manatees died this year in Florida than in previous years, although the number was not as high as that in 2021 and 2022, when a record die-off prompted widespread alarm.
—Amy Green, Miami Herald, 27 Nov. 2025
That report, authored by 160 scientists from 87 institutions in 23 countries, warns that warm-water coral reefs that support nearly a billion people and a quarter of all marine life are crossing their tipping point, as evidenced by mass die-offs already under way.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
An insurance company could sell life or health care policies, pay executives lavish salaries, and go bust when policyholders start to die off or get sick.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025
North Carolina's tricolored bats are unstable, among several species of bats quickly dying off in the dark.
—Dave Malkoff, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for die-off
Cite this Entry
“Die-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/die-off. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.
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