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
Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2026
When Florida’s local insurance companies began to fail, critics suspected that their investors may have hastened their demise by taking excess profits instead of shoring up surplus funds to prepare for disasters, as experts say reputable insurance companies are supposed to do.
—Scott Pham, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Mia Taylor, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2022
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
See All Example Sentences for demise
Noun
Musk and Taylor are far from unique in their views about the demise of résumés.
—Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2026
When Florida’s local insurance companies began to fail, critics suspected that their investors may have hastened their demise by taking excess profits instead of shoring up surplus funds to prepare for disasters, as experts say reputable insurance companies are supposed to do.
—Scott Pham, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
The full ramifications of FTX’s insolvency and demise remain unclear, but many investors who had stored cryptocurrency on the exchange stand to lose a great deal.
—Mia Taylor, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2022
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
See All Example Sentences for demise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demise
Noun
-
MacEgan family speaks in court Before Abril was formally sentenced, the court allowed the MacEgan family to speak about the impact of these crimes and the family patriarch’s death.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
In Dallas-Fort Worth, there were 104,378 births and 53,559 deaths, which means 50,819 of the area’s new residents were a result of natural population change.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And regulators in both states approved a plan last year for sites using 75 megawatts of power or more, including hyperscale data centers, that charges higher rates and requires collateral to secure payments alongside early termination fees.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Russell was terminated in August 2025, in part due to their management of the tornado response, according to their termination letter.—
Cassandra Garibay,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Subaru enthusiasts may likely look past the vehicle’s main downfall, its subpar range and lack of refinement.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
To be fair, Titus betraying his sister does ultimately lead to his downfall, even if Ursula isn’t around to see it.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At least seven others died primarily from hypothermia inside private homes.—
Matthew Villafane,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Amelirad said Mohammadi had participated in anti-government protests that erupted earlier that year when Mahsa Amini died in police custody after being detained for not wearing her headscarf properly.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Any balls that fall to the bottom suffer a miserable, dense-center fate, and that simply will not abide on Passover.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
For example, when the count is 2-1 and the batter doesn’t swing at a borderline pitch, his fate will be dramatically shifted by the ensuing call.—
Juliette Arcodia,
NBC news,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The clean-up at Englebright Lake ended last week, with the dissolution of the joint command between the water agency and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The dissolution of the partnership was a blow to Hims’ stock, casting a shadow over the future of its weight-loss drug business, which investors view as most likely to drive growth.—
Naomi Kresge,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Simmons would ideally play within the tackle box on early downs in the package.—
Mike Kaye
March 23,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The vote does not confirm Mullin to the post but begins a mandatory debate period of up to 30 hours before the Senate can hold a final up-or-down vote.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
By late Sunday night into Monday midday, a strong cold front clears the region, ending the storms and bringing gusty winds with falling temperatures through the day.—
Andrew Kozak,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Outside of Wall Street, stock indexes fell sharply in Europe following their wipeouts on Thursday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demise. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
