as in autopsy
examination of a dead body especially to find out the cause of death
a necropsy failed to definitively establish a cause of death
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Recent Examples of necropsy
Whales rarely wash up on shore alive, so to learn more about the animal, scientists and veterinary students conducted a necropsy while members of the Confederate Tribe of Siletz Indians performed ceremonies and collected samples for cultural use.
—
Meredith Nierman, NPR, 23 Dec. 2025
Gwinnett County Police Department After a series of veterinary examinations and necropsies, authorities obtained 12 felony warrants and 14 misdemeanor warrants for 67-year-old Christine Abbott and 65-year-old Donna Slavin.
—Dan Raby, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025
Six of the deceased animals underwent necropsy at UC Davis Veterinary with the results still pending, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 14 Dec. 2025
Researchers conducted a necropsy on the carcass, which was a 14-foot male shark.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for necropsy
Meredith Nierman, NPR, 23 Dec. 2025
Gwinnett County Police Department After a series of veterinary examinations and necropsies, authorities obtained 12 felony warrants and 14 misdemeanor warrants for 67-year-old Christine Abbott and 65-year-old Donna Slavin.
—Dan Raby, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025
Six of the deceased animals underwent necropsy at UC Davis Veterinary with the results still pending, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 14 Dec. 2025
Researchers conducted a necropsy on the carcass, which was a 14-foot male shark.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for necropsy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for necropsy
autopsy
Noun
-
Coroner Lomas said autopsies were carried out within a week of the women’s deaths, reported the BBC.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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Her cause and manner of death were undetermined, the autopsy found.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Necropsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/necropsy. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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