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
Slowly other players die off, and by the end one wins a whole bunch of money. Andrew Webster, The Verge, 20 Dec. 2024 This not only causes cancer cells to die off, but triggers an immune response that summons other cells to help finish off the tumors. Michael Irving, New Atlas, 9 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 5 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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