1
as in to die
to stop living
12 people perished in the plane crash
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to disintegrate
chiefly British
to go through decomposition
after being left out in the summer heat, the milk perished and had to be thrown out
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of perish
The faceless head of a man bobbing in the water recalls the countless Africans who perished during the perilous journey due to disease, malnourishment, and abuse, whose bodies were thrown overboard by unscrupulous ship captains and slavers to schools of sharks.
—
James Meyer, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Six others on board also perished.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025
Quentin perished in the war and is buried at the American Cemetery.
—Fiona Donovan, Vanity Fair, 30 Dec. 2025
Bustling ecosystem The ancient creature perished along the banks of a shallow river within a semi-arid landscape dominated by a slow-moving river system.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
James Meyer, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Six others on board also perished.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025
Quentin perished in the war and is buried at the American Cemetery.
—Fiona Donovan, Vanity Fair, 30 Dec. 2025
Bustling ecosystem The ancient creature perished along the banks of a shallow river within a semi-arid landscape dominated by a slow-moving river system.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perish
Verb
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By 1971, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and Brian Jones had all died at the age of twenty-seven from drugs and alcohol.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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This year's awards season promises to deliver more inspiration, but in the meantime, do yourself a favor an invest in a quality round brush, some styling gel or pomade, and a ride-or-die can of hairspray.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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By removing microscopic defects and smoothing the surface, this coating ensures efficient energy flow while preventing the cell from disintegrating under intense heat.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
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The very flying machine that now seemed destined to disintegrate in midair with us and the little girl.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The 1971 Vikings were the other team, and Minnesota wound up falling at home to Dallas in its initial playoff contest.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
13 Jan. 2026
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In witness footage shared by the police, the paraglider is seen falling from the sky with a faulty parachute and spiraling quickly towards the waters below, before smashing into the ocean in front of horrified beachgoers.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Investigators later searched the Ephrata home and storage unit of Jonathan Christ Gerlach, 34, and reported finding more than 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposing torsos and other skeletal items.—
Mark Scolforo,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
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For nearly two weeks before embarking on the cross-country road trip, the teenager lived with his parents’ decomposing bodies.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Below, Stewart and Poots talk to Deadline about hiding hernias, falling in love with raw, compelling stories and learning to succumb to the ebbs and flows of vulnerability.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
13 Jan. 2026
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Despite life-saving efforts, the woman succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Politically, the regime has rotted from within, discarding, discrediting, or detaining its own kind.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2026
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That includes money to replace a lot of wood that rotted away due to holes in the roof and walls.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In essence, this would mean that alpha particles (helium nuclei) released by decaying uranium (or some other fissile material) would be focused through engine nozzles to generate thrust.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
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While many have decayed, some have been lovingly restored, such as Palermo’s Neo-Gothic Palazzo Alliata di Pietratagliata, which has remained in the same family since the 15th century.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perish. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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