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 decompose
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 floodwaters tore through homes, riverside campgrounds and hotels and a beloved Christian girls camp in Kerr County, where 27 children and counselors perished.
—
Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 10 July 2025
Austin American-Statesman In the Austin area, 12 people are still missing and 16 are known to have perished after torrential rains swept away trailers and prefabricated homes along rivers and creeks.
—Austin American Statesman, 9 July 2025
The great auk of the North Atlantic, the moa of New Zealand, the elephant bird of Madagascar, and the Réunion ibis of Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean all perished shortly after the humans entered the picture.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
Janis Gammill and Patrick Gammill, both 78, perished in the blaze, according to police.
—Claire Osborn, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 10 July 2025
Austin American-Statesman In the Austin area, 12 people are still missing and 16 are known to have perished after torrential rains swept away trailers and prefabricated homes along rivers and creeks.
—Austin American Statesman, 9 July 2025
The great auk of the North Atlantic, the moa of New Zealand, the elephant bird of Madagascar, and the Réunion ibis of Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean all perished shortly after the humans entered the picture.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
Janis Gammill and Patrick Gammill, both 78, perished in the blaze, according to police.
—Claire Osborn, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perish
Verb
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The department’s homicide unit is investigating the death, as is the department’s protocol when someone dies while in custody.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 July 2025
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In Gaza, though, no one knows precisely how many people have died, or what proportion were innocents; the Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, maintains that more than half were women and children.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
Verb
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What then starts is a roughly 30-day process where the body naturally decomposes and becomes nutrient-rich dirt.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
16 July 2025
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An American man who vanished weeks ago in Turks and Caicos is still presumed missing, despite the fact that a decomposing male body was found in the island paradise 10 days ago.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
16 July 2025
Verb
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The Northern Territory has previously experienced cases of falling trees causing death, per the outlet.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
People.com,
21 July 2025
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Boaters and kayakers falling overboard without life jackets.—
Tresa Baldas,
Freep.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
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After that group disintegrated, the pair linked up with the guitarist and drummer of another band, Mythology — Iommi and Bill Ward — in late 1968 and formed a sextet called the Polka Tulk Blues Band.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
22 July 2025
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Substantial, but not so much so that the bun will disintegrate from rivers of juice.—
Li Goldstein,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Food waste after a party or outdoor snacking session can begin to rot and smell, which won’t be pleasant for you or your neighbors.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
14 July 2025
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This vertical trellis reduces the likelihood of rotting, keeps produce away from certain garden pests, and can even increase sun exposure.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 July 2025
Verb
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However, when viruses were exposed to sunlight, many of them did not survive as long, decaying in under 24 hours.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
13 Mar. 2025
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The result was not only environmental catastrophe but license for unchecked consumption of cheap plastic goods that can take a few minutes to use but hundreds of years to decay.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perish. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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