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
More than two dozen sloths perished in a warehouse around two minutes from the Sloth World Orlando location between December 2024 and February 2025, the FWC said, as Fox35 reported.
—
Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
But many details about her father’s family, some of whom had perished in the Holocaust, were scant.
—Jackie Hajdenberg, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
Singh raised his second straight half-century off just 23 balls with eight fours and a six while Iyer brought up his fifty of 31 balls and smacked Thakur four two consecutive sixes before perishing when Dhir took a stunning catch at deep mid-wicket.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Jaxon’s death comes after two children in the agency’s care perished.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perish
Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
But many details about her father’s family, some of whom had perished in the Holocaust, were scant.
—Jackie Hajdenberg, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
Singh raised his second straight half-century off just 23 balls with eight fours and a six while Iyer brought up his fifty of 31 balls and smacked Thakur four two consecutive sixes before perishing when Dhir took a stunning catch at deep mid-wicket.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Jaxon’s death comes after two children in the agency’s care perished.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perish
Verb
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Another hiker died on the same trail one week earlier after falling down a ravine, though officials haven’t clarified whether injuries or illness caused his death.—
Andrew Khouri,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
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One of the owners told officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that 31 other sloths, from Guyana and Peru, had died — either on the way to the attraction or after arriving and being stored over cold nights in a building with no heat or running water.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2026
Verb
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The debris – space rocks known as meteoroids – collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
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Indeed, with Iran’s refusal to end hostilities on unfavorable terms and willingness to fight to the end, alongside Israel’s belligerence and desire to disintegrate the Iranian state, risks of further escalation remain.—
Alexander Langlois,
Oc Register,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Huntington Beach fell behind early in the second set but continued to keep the set close before Fruerbringer’s kill gave the Mustangs a 16-11 lead.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
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After a jump ball, Miles chased down the ball at midcourt, started to drive and passed to Hof, whose layup at the buzzer did not fall.—
Mike Cook,
Twin Cities,
10 May 2026
Verb
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From a nearby dumpster there came the sweet and musty smell of decomposing seafood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
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Biodegradable waste consists of organic materials, such as food scraps, vegetable peels, paper, leaves, and agricultural residues, that can be decomposed naturally through microbial processes.—
Aman Kumar,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 May 2026
Verb
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One of the patients later succumbed to their injuries and was pronounced dead, officials said.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
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When Montiel had it, doctors could only provide supportive care, as her body either fought off the virus, or succumbed to it.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Pots simmered on the stove with paella, fruit rotted in bowls next to the junk mail, and the pantry was full of old rusted cans of strange unearthly edibles—bamboo shoots and snails in sauce and lemons floating in brine.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
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Soggy soil can cause rot, and overwatering can cause the leaves to turn yellow.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
8 May 2026
Verb
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And what with all the love and pain, something in me softened—or maybe decayed.—
Eva Wiseman,
Vogue,
7 May 2026
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The depressions in watermelon around seeds are also more liable to decay than the solid flesh of seedless types.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perish. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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