death throes

noun

: the violent movements and noises that are sometimes made by a person who is about to die
The opera ends with the hero in his death throes.
often used figuratively
the death throes of a failing industry

Examples of death throes in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Wednesday’s home defeat against Manchester City leaves the Spaniard with just three wins across his last 10 games, but fans inside the Bernabeu stopped short of the white handkerchief-waving protest that often marks the death throes of a Los Blancos head coach. Jack Bantock, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2025 These ultimate death throes of the Universe’s most massive stars take us all the way up the periodic table. Big Think, 27 Nov. 2025 Swept up in the cinema-making of Italy’s auteurs, Nicholas finds himself on the sets of Fellini’s Casanova and Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, a harrowing film about the death throes and reincarnations of fascism made just before the director’s murder. Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025 His experiences amid the Soviet Union’s death throes burnished the impression that every nation must forge its own path distinct from cookie-cutter dogma. Charlie Campbell, Time, 30 Oct. 2025 This led to it being identified as the wreckage of a supernova, which was curious because these explosive stellar death throes usually occur within the thick disk of stars across the central plane of our galaxy. Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2025 There’s a whole extra layer of story where Hazel walks around and sees people being affected, factories that are closed down—basically, the final death throes of a small town. Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 12 May 2025 During the final stages in the life of a gargantuan star, its death throes culminate in a powerful thermonuclear blast — a supernova — that typically destroys the celestial object, unleashing material and radiation. Katie Hunt, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025 The Klan was a big issue in the 1872 presidential election, but the group was in its death throes. Tara McAndrew, JSTOR Daily, 25 Jan. 2017

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Death throes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20throes. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!