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
Dave Zirin, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2025
Reports of the singularity's demise may have been premature.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 11 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
Speaking with a direct, calm urgency, Mumia Abu-Jamal has much to say about the demise of due process, the hypocrisies of the Constitution, and the long political road that has delivered us to the current crisis.
—Dave Zirin, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2025
Reports of the singularity's demise may have been premature.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 11 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
-
This was one of the theories about Wilkins’s death.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
21 June 2025
-
The province logged its first death June 5 in a baby who got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions.—
DEVI SHASTRI,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2025
Noun
-
Impacted students in Colorado and elsewhere filed lawsuits over their legal status to study in the U.S., and the federal government ultimately reversed the termination of the students’ legal status.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
22 June 2025
-
In March, Administrator Zeldin notified National Clean Investment Fund and Clean Communities Investment Accelerator recipients of the termination of their grant agreements under the Biden-Harris Administration’s $20 billion ‘gold bar’ scheme.—
Morgan Simon,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
While there’s no telling what the next two films might have in store for her character, knowing the traditionalism of ritualism of the village, there is perhaps some allusion to Arthur’s sister Morgana, who became his downfall.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
23 June 2025
-
But Dehghani speculated that such a move would probably expand the war and end in Khamenei’s downfall, as a rival faction would then be motivated to seize the reins and seek peace with the United States.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
22 June 2025
Verb
-
Missing, however, was the museum’s founder Joseph Randall Shapiro, who died just days earlier at the age of 91. 2011: Ferocious winds spawned tornadoes that hit Downers Grove and Mount Prospect, but warning sirens in the communities remained silent.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2025
-
If your team is afraid to disagree, if failure is punished, if new ideas die in PowerPoint—your culture needs rewiring.—
Bill Fischer,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Noun
-
Vegas went 50-22 last season, but ultimately had the same fate as Toronto, losing in the second round.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 June 2025
-
The brutalist federal buildings that have blighted Washington, D.C., for decades deserve the same fate as Carthage after the Third Punic War, and the nation’s capital is finally beginning to move on from these concrete monstrosities.—
Rich Lowry,
National Review,
29 June 2025
Noun
-
Those seeking juicy insights about intra-group dynamics or the dissolution of the marriages between Faltskog and Ulvaeus and Andersson and Lyngstad during ABBA’s pinnacle should look elsewhere.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
26 June 2025
-
The potential dissolution of Tuvalu presents companies with new challenges in domain management.—
Daniel Strauss,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Advertisement Advertisement But like all great friendships, the Trump-Netanyahu bromance has had its ups and downs.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
26 June 2025
-
However, there were some major ups and downs, with Kuminga seeing a lot of bench time late in the year and even at times in the playoffs.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Verb
-
Monthly spending has also fallen by almost $20 year-over-year.—
Jon Kirchner,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
-
However, that strategy could fall flat if Cuomo keeps his campaign alive.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demise. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share