as in posthumous
occurring after one's death
postmortem tests on the brain tissue of people who had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in autopsy
examination of a dead body especially to find out the cause of death
the postmortem revealed that the cause of death had been an undetected heart defect
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of postmortem
Emily Toomey, Smithsonian, 21 Aug. 2019
Nearby, the researchers also found skulls apparently stuck together with mortar—remnants of one of the towers flanking the tzompantli, where most skulls once exhibited on its posts ended their postmortem journey.
—Lizzie Wade, Science | AAAS, 21 June 2018
Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Read THR‘s finale postmortems with co-creator Christian Wallace and stars Billy Bob Thornton and Ali Larter.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for postmortem
Adjective
In addition to studying postmortem tissue, imaging methods like MRIs offer alternative tools for investigating neurological conditions.
—Emily Toomey, Smithsonian, 21 Aug. 2019
Nearby, the researchers also found skulls apparently stuck together with mortar—remnants of one of the towers flanking the tzompantli, where most skulls once exhibited on its posts ended their postmortem journey.
—Lizzie Wade, Science | AAAS, 21 June 2018
Noun
Her complaints were extremely detailed and highlighted some genuine challenges in postmortem toxicology.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Read THR‘s finale postmortems with co-creator Christian Wallace and stars Billy Bob Thornton and Ali Larter.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for postmortem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for postmortem
Adjective
-
Andrew was stripped of the remainder of his titles in late 2025, after additional allegations by Giuffre (who died in April 2025) came to light in her posthumous memoir.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Beckstrom's family was awarded a posthumous Purple Heart on their daughter's behalf.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
No official autopsy has been released, but court documents indicated that the cause of death was suffocation from co-sleeping.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The baby's death was treated as suspicious following an autopsy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In a delayed broadcast of the event, edited and aired two hours later, BBC did not remove the slur.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The same happened on Artemis 1, a delayed but ultimately successful uncrewed mission to lunar orbit that flew in late 2022.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Postmortem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/postmortem. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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