as in defunct
no longer existing
a few overgrown ruins are all that remain of that once mighty but now extinct civilization
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Recent Examples of extinct
One such species, the Wollemi pine, which grew during dinosaur days, was thought to be extinct until it was recently discovered growing in a canyon near Sydney, Australia.
—
Sheryl Devore, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
The genetics of the Angel Island coyotes, for instance, show a lot of inbreeding, and there’s always a risk that, due to either a lack of genetic diversity or a random event, the small population could go extinct.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
The manufacturing of this dye was a key industry in ancient Phoenician cities, with the precious ink coming from a process of grinding the now almost extinct murex shell.
—Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
Get your fill of Walt Disney World and Disneyland nostalgia with this list of now-extinct attractions.
—Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extinct
Sheryl Devore, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
The genetics of the Angel Island coyotes, for instance, show a lot of inbreeding, and there’s always a risk that, due to either a lack of genetic diversity or a random event, the small population could go extinct.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
The manufacturing of this dye was a key industry in ancient Phoenician cities, with the precious ink coming from a process of grinding the now almost extinct murex shell.
—Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
Get your fill of Walt Disney World and Disneyland nostalgia with this list of now-extinct attractions.
—Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinct
Adjective
-
Most of the group met in the city’s indie scene a decade ago, forming a casual, larger collective of musicians and friends who’d record at a studio in the now-defunct Mammal Gallery, previously located in south downtown before moving to the West End.—
DeAsia Paige,
AJC.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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After getting his start as the rhythm guitarist for now-defunct Philadelphia band Blood, McCamman left the city on a quest for pop songwriting perfection.—
Nick Ayres DeMasi,
Pitchfork,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Her impulse control is practically gone.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Clouds have evaporated into practically nothing and are expected to stay gone.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Under both bills, first-time offenders who perform without a license or with an expired license face a misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine, one year confinement or both.—
Barbara Hoberock,
Oklahoman,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Democrats on Capitol Hill have pushed to extend the expired federal subsidies, even centering the record-long government shutdown around the issue.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Other job training groups at the time also saw their training becoming obsolete.—
Michael Bernick,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
While there’s been a massive build-out of satellites for telecommunications, defense and climate monitoring, the equipment for controlling and communicating with them is aging and becoming obsolete.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinct. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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