presumed dead
idiom
: believed to be dead
After the earthquake several people were missing and presumed dead.
Examples of presumed dead in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Stu, of course, was presumed dead after the events of the original Scream, and Lillard says neither his wife, Heather, nor their three children know how or why his character returns for the new movie.
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Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Court papers said they were headed home to family members when the strike occurred and now are presumed dead.
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 27 Jan. 2026
In a statement on Saturday, the Northwest Avalanche Center said one of the remaining tourers was fully buried and killed by the avalanche and the other was fully buried and presumed dead.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
No human remains or large portions of wreckage have been found, though every person on board is presumed dead.
—Peter Guo, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for presumed dead
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Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Court papers said they were headed home to family members when the strike occurred and now are presumed dead.
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 27 Jan. 2026
In a statement on Saturday, the Northwest Avalanche Center said one of the remaining tourers was fully buried and killed by the avalanche and the other was fully buried and presumed dead.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
No human remains or large portions of wreckage have been found, though every person on board is presumed dead.
—Peter Guo, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for presumed dead
Cite this Entry
“Presumed dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presumed%20dead. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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