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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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 necropsy When the animals die, necropsies are done to learn more about what killed them. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2025 The cause of death of a juvenile humpback whale stranded on Huntington Beach on Jan. 24 and a minke whale stranded on Long Beach on April 6 was determined to be domoic acid toxicosis, necropsies performed by the Pacific Marine Mammal Center and the Ocean Animal Response & Research Alliance found. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2025 The big picture: While the cause of death for at least four remains undetermined as necropsies continue, scientists say climate change is creating disruptions to migration and feeding patterns that have led to massive population declines among gray whales. Nadia Lopez, Axios, 1 May 2025 Experts will perform a necropsy to determine how the mammal died. Saleen Martin, USA Today, 6 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for necropsy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for necropsy
autopsy
Noun
  • An autopsy ruled Suzanne Morphew's death a homicide with butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication in her body, according to CBI. June 20, 2025: Barry Morphew was indicted by a grand jury charging him with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Suzanne Morphew.
    Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2025
  • An autopsy later revealed that O’Keefe had died from blunt force trauma and hypothermia.
    Sean Neumann, People.com, 25 June 2025

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“Necropsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/necropsy. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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