1
as in extinct
no longer existing
a stack of brochures and a few faded placards are all that remain of the defunct organization
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fallen
no longer living
a defunct species that we know only through fossil remains
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defunct
Only Williams, McLaren, Ferrari, Sauber (through all its guises), and the defunct operations of Lotus and Tyrrell remain ahead.
—
Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 17 May 2025
The Idaho Cobalt Project is a model: a defunct mine site brought back into operation to extract minerals while also helping clean up legacy pollution.
—Bill Frist, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Join 13 others in the comments View Comments Though defunct objects in space routinely fall out of orbit, most pieces of debris disintegrate entirely during the reentry process.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
Getty Images To be sure, some of the discourse has centered around how inflationary pressures have made a handful of these hacks defunct.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defunct
Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 17 May 2025
The Idaho Cobalt Project is a model: a defunct mine site brought back into operation to extract minerals while also helping clean up legacy pollution.
—Bill Frist, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Join 13 others in the comments View Comments Though defunct objects in space routinely fall out of orbit, most pieces of debris disintegrate entirely during the reentry process.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
Getty Images To be sure, some of the discourse has centered around how inflationary pressures have made a handful of these hacks defunct.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defunct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defunct
Adjective
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Deep-seafloor-dwelling foraminifera, which were far away from the surface and were able to keep feeding on the remains of dead organisms, were mostly fine, but nine out of 10 planktonic species went extinct.—
Tim Vernimmen,
JSTOR Daily,
19 June 2025
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Our species once coexisted for tens of thousands of years and interbred with both Denisovans and Neanderthals before the two went extinct.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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O'Keefe was pronounced dead at a local hospital two hours later, with his cause of death later ruled blunt impact injuries to the head and hypothermia.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
18 June 2025
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Miami-Dade Fire Rescue pronounced the man dead at the scene.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Tasks like taking out the trash, tossing expired items from the fridge and pantry, making the bed, and wiping down surfaces often will help maintain a clean house.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
14 June 2025
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The company’s claim that Lightfoot’s pandemic decree cost it millions comes despite the fact a Tribune investigation found the city issued more than 35,000 parking tickets during the time the mayor told motorists they wouldn’t get dinged for parking at expired meters.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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Though some were at Hama to support downtown, many came to pay their respects to the memory of recently deceased owner Tsutomu Iyama.—
Laurie Ochoa,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2025
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The team also facilitated a guest’s purchase of nearly 4,500 pounds of rice to donate to a monastery in Bhutan, as well as a celebration-of-life remembrance ceremony in the Serengeti for another’s deceased loved one, led by Masai elders.—
Alexandra Kirkman,
Fortune,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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So many firsts, gone, charred to ash, just remnants of an area that once represented Black prosperity and joy.—
Maya Richard-Craven,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
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The original pioneers were mostly busy making non-hyperpop or gone: SOPHIE tragically died in 2021; 100 gecs spent years toiling to make their zany stadium-rock second album.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
3 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Defunct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defunct. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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