1
as in to die
to stop living
12 people perished in the plane crash
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to disintegrate
chiefly British
to go through decomposition
after being left out in the summer heat, the milk perished and had to be thrown out
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of perish
At least 81 of the 1,415 rivers that flow through Bangladesh have either perished or are on the brink of extinction, according to a recent report.
—
Pintu Kumar Mahla, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2025
That’s one in four fish that would ultimately perish in a fishery that only allows anglers to keep one trout over 20 inches long.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2025
Banana farms, coconut plantations and citrus groves perished in the storm.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2025
All told, hundreds of thousands perished.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Pintu Kumar Mahla, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2025
That’s one in four fish that would ultimately perish in a fishery that only allows anglers to keep one trout over 20 inches long.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2025
Banana farms, coconut plantations and citrus groves perished in the storm.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2025
All told, hundreds of thousands perished.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perish
Verb
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The driver of the car that was hit died at the scene, according to police.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Nov. 2025
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In filing the suit, the city was following the lead of Norma Nazario, who, in 2024, sued TikTok and Meta for the wrongful death of her fifteen-year-old son, Zackery, who died surfing, claiming that algorithms encouraged her son to become addicted to the act.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Dark Skies does an excellent job of using an alien threat as a metaphor for the pressures on the nuclear American family that lead to so many of them disintegrating.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Over the years, the roof disintegrated and many of the windows are broken.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Two things happened on that blustery back-to-school morning that fell exactly a month after my eleventh birthday.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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Midway through the third quarter, true freshman linebacker Mason Posa, buried on the depth chart just weeks ago, ripped the ball loose at Washington’s 7-yard line and fell on it himself.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In contrast to polluting polyester, these fibers are biodegradable and will naturally decompose after disposal.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
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Leaves need oxygen to properly decompose, and leaves buried in landfills do not have access to any oxygen, according to the National Wildlife Federation.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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People exposed to extreme cold are susceptible to frostbite and can succumb to hypothermia in a matter of minutes.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
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In the ignominious manner of his death, many great artists have succumbed to drugs.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Like, rot-your-mind, hindbrain stimulation, violence/gore/goofy villains-type fun.—
Lily Osler,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
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Although pumpkins that have started to turn color can ripen off the vine, leaving them in the garden exposes them to slugs, rot, or damage from a hard freeze.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The decaying Avenger is one of a dozen wrecks in three very different underwater environments — the western Pacific Ocean off Saipan, Lake Huron, shared by Michigan and Ontario, and the Italian Mediterranean — investigated as part of the ambitious pilot project involving eDNA.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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The place is decaying and strict, but Luna refuses to give in to its rules.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perish. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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