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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of perish
Jaxon’s death comes after two children in the agency’s care perished.
—
Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Phillips was among the 1,500 who perished.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026
Detailed wage reports from the California Employment Development Department for the seven employees who perished show no reportable income from Devastating Pyrotechnics, despite several of the men having been associated with the company for years.
—Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 10 Apr. 2026
The family’s birds, cats and dogs also perished in the fire.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perish
Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Phillips was among the 1,500 who perished.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026
Detailed wage reports from the California Employment Development Department for the seven employees who perished show no reportable income from Devastating Pyrotechnics, despite several of the men having been associated with the company for years.
—Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 10 Apr. 2026
The family’s birds, cats and dogs also perished in the fire.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perish
Verb
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Alfredrick Hughes, Loyola’s all-time leading scorer who helped the Ramblers end a 16-year NCAA Tournament drought during his All-America senior season, died Friday.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
-
Game 7 is where tall tales begin and dreams die.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Verb
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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
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Late Saturday, rescue crews were trying to determine whether the ValuJet aircraft disintegrated on impact or partially lodged itself in the soft, marshy terrain of the Everglades.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Right-hander Roki Sasaki strengthened his case Saturday with a quality start, despite some hiccups, as the Dodgers fell 3-2 to the Cardinals, extending their losing streak to four games.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
-
Jupiter Jupiter, as darkness falls, will be roughly one-third up from the western horizon to the point directly overhead.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Sites that preserve soft-bodied organisms are even rarer because soft tissues decompose more easily, making these places especially useful for piecing together prehistoric ecosystems.—
Marlowe Starling,
Quanta Magazine,
1 May 2026
-
The idea is to let the body decompose naturally.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The odds were always bad, and the Dallas Stars succumbed not to math but the better team.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 May 2026
-
Rangel succumbed to his injuries two days later, on December 6.—
Peter D'Abrosca , Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
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This could explain why the scent of cigarette smoke and rotting fish had an impact on people who were snoozing, but not on people who were awake.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
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Ventilation holes allow air to circulate to prevent mold or rot.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Researchers stressed that living plastics can function when the spores are dormant and decay when the spores are activated.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
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This includes some that pass through each other like ghosts, some that interact with each other, exchanging energy, and others that decay into smaller particles, releasing a tiny bit of energy in the process.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perish. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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