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
  • But beneath the pop-culture surface, this is also a story of families, about all the chatter and the cacophonous who-knows-what that goes on when a parent dies in unusual circumstances.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Her father, Steve Apa, told the New York Times that the cause was rhabdomyolysis, also known as rhabdo, a rare condition in which skeletal muscle breaks down and dies quickly, poisoning the body.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of dies
Verb
  • With each impact, Sarah’s face disintegrates into a bloodier pulp, her bone structure buckling under every successive thud until Nikki has finally and irrevocably rendered the character a faceless corpse.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of disintegrates
Verb
  • The water can remain liquid and freeze on contact with the surfaces of an airplane — much like freezing rain falls as liquid and freezes on cars and roads on contact.
    — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Edmonton visits New Jersey, and the spotlight falls squarely on Leon Draisaitl.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of falls
Verb
  • Remnants of a wooden spear weren’t found near the Neanderthal’s remains, which is understandable since the material often decomposes so quickly.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of decomposes
Verb
  • The results are initially astonishing, but the treatment comes with side effects whenever Hagen succumbs to negative thoughts and emotions.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Ayad Akhtar’s new novel, The Radiance, sometimes succumbs to this temptation.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 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
  • The former may be a cesspool that rots our brains and amplifies ethnic hatred, but its dangers don’t compare to the dangers of RSI.
    — Sigal Samuel, Vox, 27 Oct. 2026
  • In my experience, environment, culture, clarity, psychological safety and pace determine whether talent produces or rots.
    — Nilton Bernini, Forbes.com, 18 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 7 Nov. 2026.

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