die-off

1 of 2

noun

: 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

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
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
Bulté is working with a wildlife statistician to assess whether the Opinicon population is stable, growing, or shrinking — and whether the male-female ratio has been permanently shifted by the 2022 die-off. Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026 Bulté is now working with a wildlife statistician to assess whether the Opinicon population is stable, growing, or shrinking — and whether the male-female ratio has been permanently shifted by the 2022 die-off. Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
Those winds will die off overnight, leaving clear and cool conditions with lows in the mid-to-upper 40s. Greg Porter, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Apr. 2026 Agriculture in Patagonia, the southern tip of the region, dies off — the local sheep get eye cancer at a rate that makes extensive farming impossible. Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for die-off

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1936, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1697, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of die-off was in 1697

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Cite this Entry

“Die-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/die-off. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

die-off

noun
ˈdī-ˌȯf
: a sudden sharp drop in the numbers of plants or animals in a group
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