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

Perhaps those most exposed to ocean changes are small developing island states which are on the frontline of sea level rise, increasingly intense cyclones, storm surges and coral reef die-offs. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026

It was considered the largest die-off of any warm-blooded creature ever recorded. — John Ramos, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Verb

Life goes on even as humanity dies off due to its own violence and lack of cooperation and care for others. — Eileen Hunt, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026

At the beginning of the tenth season, the show revealed that the character had died off-screen, allowing the series to continue focusing on the Goldberg family without him. — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 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