as in departed
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in died
to stop living
12 people perished in the plane crash
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disintegrated
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 perished
Rev. José Rodriguez, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026
Teens killed in another recent fire Some of the same first responders were at the scene in nearby Cortland Manor where teen siblings perished in an electrical fire on May 26.
—Tony Aiello, CBS News, 4 June 2026
Nineteen firefighters perished in the blaze.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 22 May 2026
The vast majority of people in Pompeii and Herculaneum—the cities hardest hit—perished from asphyxiation, choking on the thick clouds of noxious gas and ash.
—ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
On the outskirts of Jisr al-Shughur, high on a hill, among green shrubs lie the graves of hundreds of Uyghur fighters who perished fighting the Assad regime.
—Emily Feng, NPR, 17 May 2026
That fire also claimed the life of Lance Garcia, 25, who perished saving his mother, who remains hospitalized in critical condition, unaware that her son made the ultimate sacrifice.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 16 May 2026
The annual event pays homage to the 27 million Soviet citizens who perished in that war.
—Reuters, NBC news, 10 May 2026
While his phone screen shimmered with suggestions, our teensy tree perished alone on the patio.
—Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Verb
Forty-nine lives perished that night.
—Rev. José Rodriguez, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026
Teens killed in another recent fire Some of the same first responders were at the scene in nearby Cortland Manor where teen siblings perished in an electrical fire on May 26.
—Tony Aiello, CBS News, 4 June 2026
Nineteen firefighters perished in the blaze.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 22 May 2026
The vast majority of people in Pompeii and Herculaneum—the cities hardest hit—perished from asphyxiation, choking on the thick clouds of noxious gas and ash.
—ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
On the outskirts of Jisr al-Shughur, high on a hill, among green shrubs lie the graves of hundreds of Uyghur fighters who perished fighting the Assad regime.
—Emily Feng, NPR, 17 May 2026
That fire also claimed the life of Lance Garcia, 25, who perished saving his mother, who remains hospitalized in critical condition, unaware that her son made the ultimate sacrifice.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 16 May 2026
The annual event pays homage to the 27 million Soviet citizens who perished in that war.
—Reuters, NBC news, 10 May 2026
While his phone screen shimmered with suggestions, our teensy tree perished alone on the patio.
—Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perished
Adjective
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But with Harden, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac taking the majority of the shots instead of the departed Paul George and a rehabilitating Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers score 45.9 percent of their points in the paint (fifth in NBA).—
Law Murray,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
-
These spirits not only provide a thoughtful toast to the departed but also serve as a reminder of Mexico’s deep traditions and reverence for the past.—
Rachel King,
Forbes,
1 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Refracted through the lens of the 2018 killing of one of Clemmons’s few Black peers in tony Swarthmore public schools, the essay reflects on the consequences of systemic disinvestment in Chester, the nearby majority-Black city where Robbie was born, taught, and died.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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The wink sealed the deal and the two spent more than 50 years as a couple, welcomed three children — Luke, Hannah, and Levi, who died in 2025 — and eventually grandchildren, who called him PoPo.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Any potential scoring opportunity in the fifth inning disintegrated after Dalton Rushing’s leadoff walk.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
-
Blaine is disintegrated, while Sam is clearly changed.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Herbie Hancock conjured what sounded like a lost Debussy Prélude.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
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Some scholars have also linked the event to later stories about Atlantis, the lost island civilization described by Plato.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Haas wasn't sure what disease could have felled a buck so clearly in its prime.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
4 Dec. 2025
-
Yet Christine’s fate took a devastating turn when her father died, her husband was felled by the plague a year later.—
Diana Arterian,
Literary Hub,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Now the pages are yellowed; the rubber band rotted away years ago.—
Peter Hessler,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
-
Using playground equipment that has rotted wood, wielding a tool like a drill without proper instruction or swimming in rapids could lead to serious accidents without any learning benefits.—
Marie Helweg-Larsen,
The Conversation,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans had not become extinct.—
George Liebmann,
Baltimore Sun,
13 June 2026
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Since then, the editing capability of CRISPR has been tested on everything from developing disease treatments to engineering drought-resistant crops to resurrecting genes of extinct species.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Prosecutor Cheryl Galvin disagreed, saying that while the body had decomposed, the medical examiner was still able to conclude Chiodo died by homicide due to blunt force and sharp force injuries.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
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Compost is decomposed organic matter, created when microorganisms break down plant materials, food scraps, leaves, manure, and other organic inputs.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perished. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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