: 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
Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
When the eastern North Pacific gray whales suffered major die-offs in the past, including in the 1990s and early 2020s, the population rebounded.
—Daniel Crocker, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
Ashley Sharp, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
In winter, the patches die off and leave ugly bare spots in the lawn.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for die-off
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Noun
Despite persistent radiation, scientists have not recorded widespread die-offs, though subtler effects are evident.
—Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
When the eastern North Pacific gray whales suffered major die-offs in the past, including in the 1990s and early 2020s, the population rebounded.
—Daniel Crocker, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
It was created nearly 20 years ago to help struggling vinyl stores when record sales were dying off.
—Ashley Sharp, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
In winter, the patches die off and leave ugly bare spots in the lawn.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
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 23 Apr. 2026.
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