1
as in to die
to stop living
12 people perished in the plane crash
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to decompose
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of perish
As recovery teams continue to search the rubble for survivors — and to remove those who have perished — people living in the city of Mandalay are struggling to live without electricity or clean water.
—
Jade Walker, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025
McDonald said investigators won’t know if that twin perished in the fire until investigators can begin going through the debris of it.
—Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025
More than 1,500 passengers and crew perished; only around 710 of those on board survived.
—ArsTechnica, 10 Apr. 2025
At least 70 whales have perished since the start of the year in the shallow lagoons of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula where the animals gather to calf, nurse and breed.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Jade Walker, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025
McDonald said investigators won’t know if that twin perished in the fire until investigators can begin going through the debris of it.
—Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025
More than 1,500 passengers and crew perished; only around 710 of those on board survived.
—ArsTechnica, 10 Apr. 2025
At least 70 whales have perished since the start of the year in the shallow lagoons of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula where the animals gather to calf, nurse and breed.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perish
Verb
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The funeral for Pope Francis, who died Monday, will take place Saturday at 4 a.m. ET in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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The Vatican said Monday that Francis died after a stroke.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Clogged Drains On the other hand, a smelly drain that gets frequent use may have a clog or decomposing matter in the pipes.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2025
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Over time, mulch materials break down and decompose.—
Maryal Miller Carter,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Rising bond yields Yields on 10-year Treasury bonds typically fall – and their prices rise - as investors flee stocks for the safe haven of Treasuries during economic slowdowns.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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Sales are falling partly due to rising competition from other automakers’ EV offerings, especially in China.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Void is able to disintegrate victims in a puff of shadow.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
2 May 2025
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The pair were belly deep in the rapids by that point, while the nest continued to disintegrate around them.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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He cannot be allowed to rot in an El Salvadorian jail.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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Unless someone inside the federal government continues to ensure the liquid nitrogen doesn’t totally evaporate, the samples will eventually defrost and begin to rot, according to three staff researchers who work with such materials.—
Caroline Haskins,
Wired News,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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However, when viruses were exposed to sunlight, many of them did not survive as long, decaying in under 24 hours.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
13 Mar. 2025
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The result was not only environmental catastrophe but license for unchecked consumption of cheap plastic goods that can take a few minutes to use but hundreds of years to decay.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perish. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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