carrion

as in carcass
the flesh of dead animals Vultures live chiefly on carrion.

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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 carrion The researchers identified a broad range of mammals, amphibians, fish, reptiles and birds that survive solely or partially on a diet of carrion. New Atlas, 22 June 2025 For the study, researchers looked at 1,376 vertebrate species known to eat some amount of carrion, ranging from tiger sharks and spotted hyenas to cane toads and common shrews. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 June 2025 Raccoons and skunks make excellent neighbors, moving through your yard and neighborhood to dine voraciously on rats, mice, voles and other rodents, along with insects, grubs, carrion and many other less-desirable things in our gardens. Alison Hermance, Mercury News, 17 June 2025 While other opportunistic scavengers like wolves and bears sometimes aid these processes as well, vultures remain the true champions of carrion consumption. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for carrion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carrion
Noun
  • Blue sharks are known to scavenge on basking shark carcasses, according to John Chisholm, an adjunct scientist at the New England Aquarium.
    Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Their decaying carcasses led to the rapid deterioration of water quality and an explosion of harmful bacteria, researchers said.
    Lauren Liebhaber September 5, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • She is charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant, the Lexington Police Department said in a news release.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The scene in which Mary Ellen walks through a maze of corpses only to find one of herself?
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Carrion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carrion. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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