: 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
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2025
When DeSantis first ran for Governor in 2018, Florida was experiencing headline-grabbing environmental problems ranging from fish-killing red tides and toxic algae blooms to manatee die-offs and invasive species that were alarming residents and giving tourists pause.
—Chris Dorsey, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2025
This year’s bee die off accounts for over hundreds of millions honey bees and may have far-reaching impacts for consumers looking to purchase honey.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for die-off
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.
Noun
But in the 25 years since the 1999 die-off event, lobsters have not made any significant rebound in their population, according to Colleen Giannini, fisheries biologist with the Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2025
When DeSantis first ran for Governor in 2018, Florida was experiencing headline-grabbing environmental problems ranging from fish-killing red tides and toxic algae blooms to manatee die-offs and invasive species that were alarming residents and giving tourists pause.
—Chris Dorsey, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
The number of grouse visiting the lek at the Jackson Hole Airport has also declined, but officials aren’t sure whether that’s because the birds are dying off or opting to relocate.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2025
This year’s bee die off accounts for over hundreds of millions honey bees and may have far-reaching impacts for consumers looking to purchase honey.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 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 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share