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
Pathologists will perform a necropsy on the mountain lions to check for abnormalities and neurological diseases like rabies and avian influenza.
—
Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 2 Jan. 2026
Police collected the carcass and gave it to a veterinarian for a full necropsy before bringing the case to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, records show.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for necropsy
Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 2 Jan. 2026
Police collected the carcass and gave it to a veterinarian for a full necropsy before bringing the case to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, records show.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for necropsy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for necropsy
autopsy
Noun
-
The final autopsy declared his death a homicide.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Police added that following an autopsy, the department would present the case to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office for possible criminal charges.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Necropsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/necropsy. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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