perishes

verb

present tense third-person singular of perish
1
as in dies
to stop living 12 people perished in the plane crash

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disintegrates
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perishes In The Children, sister and brother Guinevere and Ennis grow up under the shadow of their mother, Edith Sharpe, whose Ninth City children’s book series transfixes the world until Edith perishes in a mysterious fire in Vermont. — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026 Every soldier Harry would have saved on a transport during the war perishes too. — Margaret Heidenry, Vanity Fair, 24 Dec. 2025 Factory ships deplete fisheries in a matter of years and an inordinate amount of sea life also perishes in their nets. — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perishes
  1. dies
  2. disintegrates
  3. falls
  4. decomposes
  5. succumbs
  6. decays
  7. rots
Verb
  • Austin Dennison, played by David Gyasi, tragically dies in the first few episodes of Season 4.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In the first, a best-selling mystery author dies, and Benoit Blanc, a charismatic and inquisitive private eye played by Daniel Craig, must investigate.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of dies
Verb
  • Even those who can afford to stay suffer losses in home equity and lifestyle as the community around them disintegrates or disappears.
    — The Conversation, Fortune, 12 June 2026
  • None are quite about the conflicting frames of reference and value that arise when an ancient cultural formation disintegrates and a successor has yet to take its place.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Definition of disintegrates
Verb
  • The January 16, 2027 slot once again falls the day after the end of nomination voting in the Academy Awards on January 15, and before the January 21 nominations announcement.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
  • As night falls, Kenny and Christina are over the moon about their trip.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of falls
Verb
  • Named for the Frenchman Joseph Fourier, the Fourier transform decomposes any function into a set of simple waves, each with a different frequency, or tone.
    — Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The research team enabled a room-temperature, four-electron chemical reaction path that forms and decomposes lithium oxide, which expands available energy storage.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 3 June 2026
Definition of decomposes
Verb
  • Ayad Akhtar’s new novel, The Radiance, sometimes succumbs to this temptation.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Wolf succumbs to Shura, a demonic force in the game’s mythology that possesses those who give in to bloodlust.
    — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of succumbs
Verb
  • By writing an out-of-the-money call and an out-of-the-money put for late October, traders can harvest the elevated premium as time value rapidly decays.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This radioisotope decays into technetium-99m, an essential diagnostic imaging agent used to detect cancer and cardiovascular disease.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of decays
Verb
  • In my experience, environment, culture, clarity, psychological safety and pace determine whether talent produces or rots.
    — Nilton Bernini, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • And be prepared to top off the soil in the future as the remaining root system rots away, causing the soil to sag.
    — Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of rots

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Cite this Entry

“Perishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perishes. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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