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 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
The books of ancient Alexandria seem to have perished mainly by rot and neglect, not in a single blaze.
—
Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Along the way, Gustav and his crew come across notes from past expeditions that have perished before them, as well as encounter powerful enemies that block their path.
—PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
The study continued until deportations to the Treblinka extermination camp, where many of the researchers would ultimately perish, began, in 1942.
—Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
To hunt, to hide, or simply to endure where others would perish.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Along the way, Gustav and his crew come across notes from past expeditions that have perished before them, as well as encounter powerful enemies that block their path.
—PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
The study continued until deportations to the Treblinka extermination camp, where many of the researchers would ultimately perish, began, in 1942.
—Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
To hunt, to hide, or simply to endure where others would perish.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perish
Verb
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The baby, who initially made good progress after the surgery, died 20 days later.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
26 Oct. 2025
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The medical examiner on Friday determined that the student died by suicide.—
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ethan Hawke stars as Lorenz Hart of legendary songsmiths Rodgers & Hart as the prolific partnership disintegrates to his great dismay.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
17 Oct. 2025
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This difference sounds small, but preventing a few tenths of a degree of warming could keep polar ice caps from completely disintegrating, coral reefs from collapsing and other tipping points from triggering.—
Syris Valentine,
Scientific American,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And King Priam, at great personal risk, shows up with a ransom and falls on his knees and clasps Achilles’ hand.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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As Semafor previously reported, many inside the magazine were excited by Guiducci’s arrival, believing the old Vanity Fair was moving too slowly, had fallen too far outside the zeitgeist, and had lost some of its sheen.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Forensic entomology −the study of insects and arthropods on decomposing bodies − is crucial in homicide and death investigations, Musah told USA TODAY.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
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The round spots seemed neat compared with their surroundings, clear of the layers of decomposing plankton spotted elsewhere on the seafloor.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After occupying Sinai, Britain and France succumbed to international pressure and withdrew their forces from Egypt in November.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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The Hornets succumbed to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 122-105, upping their losing streak to three games on the heels of a trio of spirited outings to begin the 2025-26 campaign.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Good drainage also helps prevent crown rot in winter.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
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The rotting corpse flower’s putrid stench cast a spell Thursday across Roseville High School’s campus.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The leather on the shoes appears to be slightly decayed, worn, cracked and brittle, while the laces and midsole are stained, giving a distressed, lived-in effect.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
27 Oct. 2025
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This approach blends technical discipline, probabilistic pricing and time decay into a cohesive framework.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perish. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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