1
as in death
the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities
inherited all of the estate upon the sudden demise of his grandfather
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in termination
the act of ceasing to exist
the gradual demise of the Roman Empire over the course of several centuries
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in downfall
a loss of status
after her demise as the doyenne of New York society, the mere mention of her name was regarded as a faux pas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to die
to stop living
our much beloved, recently demised leader
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 demise
Brittany Carloni, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Oasis’ initial demise coincided almost perfectly with City’s rise.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 29 June 2025
Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 July 2022
Ann, who’s starring in a new opera at Disney Hall, embraces her character’s nightly demise with a grand passion that her audiences find cathartic.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2021
See All Example Sentences for demise
Noun
Nothing screams romance quite like lawmakers vigorously debating legislation or bills meeting their demise as deadlines loom.
—Brittany Carloni, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Oasis’ initial demise coincided almost perfectly with City’s rise.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 29 June 2025
Verb
According to James Sinclair, director of marine archaeology for the AllenX Maravillas project, the researchers are delving into the mystery of the ship’s demise by thoroughly mapping all of their finds.
—Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 July 2022
Ann, who’s starring in a new opera at Disney Hall, embraces her character’s nightly demise with a grand passion that her audiences find cathartic.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2021
See All Example Sentences for demise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demise
Noun
-
The death was confirmed on Swaggart’s social media accounts Tuesday morning.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
1 July 2025
-
Impacts were recorded in six locations, but no civilian deaths were reported.—
Katya Soldak,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
The draft that the Senate released over the weekend sets a single termination date: Sept. 30th, three months from now.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
30 June 2025
-
The phone line terminations serve as a testing ground for the task force's approach to cost reduction across federal agencies.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
Some slides did have a 1 hour wait time but that was the only downfall. ...—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
3 July 2025
-
At a time when countless think pieces have been penned about the downfall of original animation, particularly in the light of recent box office flops from major players like Pixar, Applehans says studios should look to broaden their outlook, instead of relying on tired tropes.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
Three weeks later, on Thursday, Isidro Perez died in U.S. Immigration and Customs custody.—
Claire Healy,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2025
-
Of those deaths, the majority of firefighters died from a traumatic event related to their jobs, or a medical emergency.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
The cloudy days hovering over the fate of the U.S. Airline sector appear to be clearing out, with Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) reporting better-than-expected 2Q 2025 financial results this week.—
Ankita Dhawan,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
-
For Scotty, a young puppy facing a grim fate, time was running out.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
According to a source, the steady stream of comments and questions from HFPA members has spurred requests for documents and verifications that have delayed for months the Attorney General’s office from giving the final signoff to the dissolution of the HFPA.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
3 July 2025
-
But here in Trump-loving Northern Kentucky, some local Republicans are irate, viewing the committee dissolution as payback for rebelling against the party establishment.—
Jolene Almendarez,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
Trump has previously threatened to cut federal contracts and subsidies to Musk’s various businesses, which include SpaceX and Tesla (Tesla’s stock often tracks the ups and downs of Musk’s political fortunes), and has even mused about potentially having Musk deported.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
7 July 2025
-
Girls centered around four women living in New York City during their 20s, charting the ups and downs of their personal and professional lives.—
Carson Blackwelder,
People.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
As 2024 began, demand for electricity on the national grid started falling—not because the economy was in decline but because (as careful scrutiny of images on Google Earth revealed) so many Pakistanis were putting up solar panels.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
9 July 2025
-
Partner that with another warning sign: A declining ratio of U.S. exports to imports while the U.S. deficit increases into record territory – like trade falling two months in a row, atypical since the former tends to remain steady even as the deficit increases.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demise. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share