: a sudden sharp decline of a population of animals or plants that is not caused directly by human activity
died off; dying off; dies off
: to die sequentially either singly or in numbers so that the total number is greatly diminished
Examples of die-off in a Sentence
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Brenda Goodman, CNN, 8 Feb. 2025
The version, known as D1.1, is circulating in wild birds around the nation — causing massive die-offs in places such as Chicago, upstate New York and Ohio.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2025
Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2025
Too bad my backyard garden beds died off three frosts ago.
—Christopher Hastings, Bon Appétit, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for die-off 
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Noun
Dairy farmers with infected herds reported large die-offs of wild birds near their farms before their cows got sick, according to the USDA.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN, 8 Feb. 2025
The version, known as D1.1, is circulating in wild birds around the nation — causing massive die-offs in places such as Chicago, upstate New York and Ohio.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2025
Verb
During those weeks, the cicadas mature, mate and lay eggs before dying off, and then their offspring begin the cycle anew.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2025
Too bad my backyard garden beds died off three frosts ago.
—Christopher Hastings, Bon Appétit, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for die-off
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 20 Feb. 2025.
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