presumed dead
idiom
: believed to be dead
After the earthquake several people were missing and presumed dead.
Examples of presumed dead in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The young man from Orlo Vista was one of more than 400 unaccounted for soldiers from the battle, listed as missing, non-recoverable or presumed dead.
—
Kairi Lowery, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2025
As of June 5, 56 hostages are still being held by Hamas, although that number includes both the living and presumed dead.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 8 June 2025
Chloe Pirrie in Dept. Q Justin Downing—Netflix Merritt was kidnapped and held within a hyperbaric chamber in remote Scotland for four years, and was long presumed dead before DCI Morck reopened the case.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 29 May 2025
The deceased included two Mexican nationals, whose details have not been released, and a 14-year-old Indian national, whose 10-year-old sister is missing and presumed dead, according to the warrant.
—Luke Harold, Mercury News, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for presumed dead
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.
Kairi Lowery, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2025
As of June 5, 56 hostages are still being held by Hamas, although that number includes both the living and presumed dead.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 8 June 2025
Chloe Pirrie in Dept. Q Justin Downing—Netflix Merritt was kidnapped and held within a hyperbaric chamber in remote Scotland for four years, and was long presumed dead before DCI Morck reopened the case.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 29 May 2025
The deceased included two Mexican nationals, whose details have not been released, and a 14-year-old Indian national, whose 10-year-old sister is missing and presumed dead, according to the warrant.
—Luke Harold, Mercury News, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for presumed dead
Cite this Entry
“Presumed dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presumed%20dead. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share