as in dissections
examination of a dead body especially to find out the cause of death
the autopsy revealed an advanced stage of cancer
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Recent Examples of autopsies
The state medical examiner is conducting autopsies on all six victims.
—
Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 11 Jan. 2026
Coroner Lomas said autopsies were carried out within a week of the women’s deaths, reported the BBC.
—Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was expected to conduct autopsies on both victims as investigators worked to confirm their identities, state police said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2026
His duties include determining the cause and manner of deaths and ordering autopsies in homicides, suicides, accidents, drug overdoses or deaths with undetermined causes because the county doesn't have a medical examiner.
—Claire Osborn, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026
Thus far, the program has enrolled 66 patients and conducted about 40 rapid autopsies.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
Their bodies were cremated at Mount Sinai Mortuary after the autopsies were completed.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 30 Dec. 2025
Veterinarians carried out autopsies on the dead elephants, which were to be buried later in the day.
—CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
Bizzell added that the state medical examiner's office was conducting autopsies to determine how the children died.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 11 Jan. 2026
Coroner Lomas said autopsies were carried out within a week of the women’s deaths, reported the BBC.
—Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was expected to conduct autopsies on both victims as investigators worked to confirm their identities, state police said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2026
His duties include determining the cause and manner of deaths and ordering autopsies in homicides, suicides, accidents, drug overdoses or deaths with undetermined causes because the county doesn't have a medical examiner.
—Claire Osborn, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026
Thus far, the program has enrolled 66 patients and conducted about 40 rapid autopsies.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
Their bodies were cremated at Mount Sinai Mortuary after the autopsies were completed.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 30 Dec. 2025
Veterinarians carried out autopsies on the dead elephants, which were to be buried later in the day.
—CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
Bizzell added that the state medical examiner's office was conducting autopsies to determine how the children died.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autopsies
Noun
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Within days, it was hurled into the internet's true crime universe, Andrea May Sahouri reports, with influencers far and wide sharing posts, live streams and even dissections of timelines and evidence, bringing national attention to Park and a reeling rural Michigan community.—
Leah Olajide,
Freep.com,
19 Dec. 2025
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Based on dissections of a few catfish and the timing of the sighting, researchers concluded the bumblebee catfish were likely migrating upriver to spawn and were not eating during the migration.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Gwinnett County Police Department After a series of veterinary examinations and necropsies, authorities obtained 12 felony warrants and 14 misdemeanor warrants for 67-year-old Christine Abbott and 65-year-old Donna Slavin.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
23 Dec. 2025
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The Humane Society said the four dead cats would be taken to the Cornell Animal Diagnostic Center, where necropsies would be done to determine their cause of death.—
Sean Neumann,
PEOPLE,
12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Autopsies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autopsies. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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