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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of perish
Even if media themselves don’t perish, media industries can and often do.
—
Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Still, 49 perished in the shooting, the country’s deadliest mass shooting until 2017 when that death toll was surpassed by a mass shooting at a concert in Las Vegas that killed 60.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 2026
Nineteen firefighters perished in the blaze.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 22 May 2026
Items movers won’t transport Interstate movers typically refuse to transport items that may perish, pose safety risks, or create legal issues.
—Nancy Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for perish
Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Still, 49 perished in the shooting, the country’s deadliest mass shooting until 2017 when that death toll was surpassed by a mass shooting at a concert in Las Vegas that killed 60.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 2026
Nineteen firefighters perished in the blaze.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 22 May 2026
Items movers won’t transport Interstate movers typically refuse to transport items that may perish, pose safety risks, or create legal issues.
—Nancy Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for perish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perish
Verb
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Mamdani might be a progressive determined not to let his agenda die under a pile of rookie mistakes and fiscal naiveté.—
Andy Shaw,
Chicago Tribune,
21 July 2025
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All died in the turbulent waters of Lake Michigan while vacationing in South Haven, where public outrage over the lack of lifeguards has been building.—
Tresa Baldas,
Freep.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
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It was stained in several places, disintegrating around the edges, and already yellowing due to years of exposure to air and sunlight and, quite possibly, pipe tobacco.—
Darcy Ballantyne
July 16,
Literary Hub,
16 July 2025
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And come November, free agency could disintegrate the Phillies’ core.—
Anthony Stitt,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
Verb
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The Cougars fell 34-7 to the Red Raiders in their championship game, a slightly larger margin of defeat than Alabama’s 21-point loss to the Bulldogs.—
Jordy Fee-Platt,
New York Times,
8 Dec. 2025
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Cronin highlighted the fact that in his team-high 38 minutes, Dent did a lot to wear down Ducks defenders – whether or not his shots were falling, as fickle as shots can be.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Some chemical disasters result from power outages, for example at the Arkema Chemical Plant in Crosby, Texas, where more than three feet of flood waters damaged the refrigeration systems keeping toxic chemicals from decomposing and igniting.—
Cynthia Palmer,
Time,
9 Dec. 2025
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Biolab workers tried to isolate decomposing chemicals to prevent the catastrophe, but their forklifts slid on the wet floor amid the fumes.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Rogers fought for his life for more than a week before succumbing to his injuries.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
10 Dec. 2025
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Some of the victims succumbed to burn injuries and others died due to suffocation, News18 reported.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Much of old Baghdad has been left to rot, its modernist heritage decaying, its leafy suburbs disfigured and gentrified.—
Nabil Salih,
Time,
4 Dec. 2025
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By 1880, so many apples were grown in Northwest Arkansas that the means to haul the fruit was exceeded and many were left to rot.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The decaying matter causes a stench that lingers for days.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
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By analyzing how these signals decay, scientists can identify buried or submerged objects and also estimate their depth and composition.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perish. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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