PERISH Synonyms: 98 Similar and Opposite Words

perish

verb

ˈper-ish

Definition of perish

as in to die

to stop living 12 people perished in the plane crash

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 perish On the morning of September 11, 2001, 91 guests and 79 World employees would perish in the devastating terrorist attack on the twin towers. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026 This summer has been a deadly one in Europe, with over 10,000 people perishing in the extreme heat over just a few weeks. — Morgan Simon, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 The nation had just lost 18 of its most promising skaters, while 16 others, including family members, officials, judges and coaches – including Fleming’s own coach, Bill Kipp – all perished in the crash. — Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026 But Jameson is hardly the first family pet to senselessly perish at the hands of law enforcement officers who resort to deadly force far too quickly. — Vanessa Shakib, Oc Register, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for perish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for perish

Verb

Carlile remembered the Country Music Hall of Fame member, who died Tuesday at 80 after a brief battle with cancer, in a social media post.

— Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
Dolly Parton, the undisputed queen of country music, died on Tuesday, August 25.

— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of die

Verb

Just seconds later, in a separate incident, the Brazilian F50 was about to go into a standard jibe maneuver (turning the boat through the wind to change direction) but disintegrated in the blink of an eye.

— Andrew Rice, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Tim Graham/Getty Images Most Popular Nader’s empire quickly disintegrated into chaos.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of disintegrate

Verb

When night falls, another show begins with a dedicated corner of the estate designed for stargazing.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
Zinc ions enter the electrode first at higher voltages, while much smaller protons are stored later as the voltage falls.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of fall

Verb

The study hypothesized that the sickle was added before the body fully decomposed since no joints were detached or displaced, as archaeologists would expect if a grave were to be disturbed after the body became a skeleton.

— Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Agents plan and reason, decompose goals into steps, call external tools and iterate without being prompted at each turn.

— Hemant Kashyap, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of decompose

Verb

But microscopic skeletal details also revealed a decent percentage of these reptiles didn’t only succumb to the food chain.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026
The researchers said this means that the current controls by AI companies are prone to being disabled by misbehaving AI and at risk of succumbing to a blitz of AI attacks.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of succumb

Verb

The project aims to clear sediment and decaying matter from the bottom of the lake, improve water quality and habitat conditions, reduce erosion and add recreational features and native plants, said city officials.

— Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
After 36 years in service, the historic observatory is also suffering from a decaying orbit made worse by intense solar activity.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026