die-off

1 of 2

noun

: a sudden sharp decline of a population of animals or plants that is not caused directly by human activity

die off

2 of 2

verb

died off; dying off; dies off

intransitive verb

: to die sequentially either singly or in numbers so that the total number is greatly diminished

Examples of die-off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Those trees had suffered in the die-off before the sewage upgrade. Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 23 Dec. 2024 When coral die-offs are unrelenting and pollution continues to flow into the ocean, reefs get overcome by seaweed. Benji Jones, Vox, 8 Oct. 2024
Verb
Talk of a purchase died off relatively quickly in 2019 after rebuttal from Danish leaders, but Trump resurfaced the idea shortly after he was reelected last year. Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025 Slowly other players die off, and by the end one wins a whole bunch of money. Andrew Webster, The Verge, 20 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for die-off 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1936, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1697, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of die-off was in 1697

Dictionary Entries Near die-off

Cite this Entry

“Die-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/die-off. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

die-off

noun
ˈdī-ˌȯf
: a sudden sharp drop in the numbers of plants or animals in a group
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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