die-off

1 of 2

noun

ˈdī-ˌȯf 

: a sudden sharp decline of a population of animals or plants that is not caused directly by human activity

die off

2 of 2

verb

ˈdī-ˈȯf 

died off; dying off; dies off

intransitive verb

: 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

Noun

Researchers found little evidence that disease caused the die-off. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 2 July 2026

The wetland has absorbed toxic runoff from a warehouse fire before, resulting in a fish die-off. — Mack Baysinger follow, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026

Verb

Most cosmos are annuals that die off when the weather gets chilly in the fall. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 July 2026

Millions of dollars in coastal infrastructure and a booming fishing industry are at risk in South Florida as the region’s coral reefs continue to die off at a rate scientists call alarming. — Laurie Mermet, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1936, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1697, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for die-off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

die-off

noun

ˈdī-ˌȯf

: a sudden sharp drop in the numbers of plants or animals in a group