: 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
Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
All the while, seasonal workers in the area are dying off mysteriously in road accidents.
—Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for die-off
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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 movie opens with T’Challa dying off camera of an unknown ailment for which his sister, Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, desperately tries to find a lifesaving treatment.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
All the while, seasonal workers in the area are dying off mysteriously in road accidents.
—Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 27 Mar. 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 21 May. 2025.
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