1
as in to die
to stop living
12 people perished in the plane crash
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to decompose
chiefly British
to go through decomposition
after being left out in the summer heat, the milk perished and had to be thrown out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perish
Thousands of outstanding members of the intelligentsia had perished in Stalin’s prisons and camps, but lifelines could nonetheless be established between those who came before and those who came after.
—
Benjamin Nathans
september 24, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
The agony is still fresh for Katie and Clarke Baker, whose 8-year-old daughter Mary Grace perished in the flooding.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
James, 57, perished in the crash along with his wife Melody Carole Wilson and her daughter Meryl.
—Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
The boys didn't always survive their adventures, with one perishing from a snake bite and another drowning in a Bolivian flood.
—ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Benjamin Nathans
september 24, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
The agony is still fresh for Katie and Clarke Baker, whose 8-year-old daughter Mary Grace perished in the flooding.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
James, 57, perished in the crash along with his wife Melody Carole Wilson and her daughter Meryl.
—Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
The boys didn't always survive their adventures, with one perishing from a snake bite and another drowning in a Bolivian flood.
—ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perish
Verb
-
Coulson, a Miami lawyer, died unexpectedly last month.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Which is interesting, given that Lillard died in the first film.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Mushrooms also thrive in decomposing wood mulch.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
5 Oct. 2025
-
These clippings decompose rapidly, enhancing soil quality and providing nutrients for your turf grass.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Oct. 2025
-
However, compared to his older stepbrothers, his net worth falls a little bit short.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Before flight 10, Starship's most recent demonstration came on May 27, when the spacecraft spun out of control roughly halfway through its flight and disintegrated in a fireball.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Oct. 2025
-
When breaking down what the heck happened over the last four months, the first item on the list is the way New York’s starting rotation disintegrated.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Letting the soil dry out some between waterings keeps the roots from rotting in excess moisture.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The program culture began to rot, the Aggies couldn't win on the road and often underwhelmed in big games.—
Sam Khan Jr,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Filth Flies Little filth flies such as drain flies breed in sludge and decaying matter that can build up in drain pipes, says Oi.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
10 Oct. 2025
-
For the study, Ruotsalainen measured the Q values of two double-beta decaying and one beta-decaying nucleus.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perish. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share