as in defunct
no longer existing
a few overgrown ruins are all that remain of that once mighty but now extinct civilization
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of extinct
By the thirteenth century, Vajrayana was close to extinct in its own birthplace, and Tibet, the ex-satellite, had become the new center.
—
Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
Stewart and Yeun play a curious buoy and a helpful satellite learning about Earth, humanity and life itself, long after humans have gone extinct.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 1 Jan. 2025
Climate change and the ongoing biodiversity crisis add extra urgency to these efforts, since many of these new species risk going extinct just as soon as they're discovered.
—Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024
Scientists have a term for animals found alive after their kind was thought to have gone extinct: Lazarus species, named after the biblical figure from the New Testament who was resurrected.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for extinct 
Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
Stewart and Yeun play a curious buoy and a helpful satellite learning about Earth, humanity and life itself, long after humans have gone extinct.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 1 Jan. 2025
Climate change and the ongoing biodiversity crisis add extra urgency to these efforts, since many of these new species risk going extinct just as soon as they're discovered.
—Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024
Scientists have a term for animals found alive after their kind was thought to have gone extinct: Lazarus species, named after the biblical figure from the New Testament who was resurrected.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for extinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinct
Adjective
-
Bush chose Moody a year later to serve on the Board of Regents, the defunct governing body for the state’s university system.—
Dan Sullivan,
Miami Herald,
17 Jan. 2025
-
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Digital Currency Group, the crypto firm founded by Barry Silbert, and the former executive of a defunct unit are paying the SEC $38.5 million for misleading investors.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
So many firsts, gone, charred to ash, just remnants of an area that once represented Black prosperity and joy.—
Maya Richard-Craven,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
-
The original pioneers were mostly busy making non-hyperpop or gone: SOPHIE tragically died in 2021; 100 gecs spent years toiling to make their zany stadium-rock second album.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
3 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Coco Austin Defends Bathing Her 6-Year-Old Daughter In Sink By Maggie Ekberg Contributing Entertainment Writer 1 Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors What happens when a Hollywood icon gets pulled over for expired plates?—
Kevin Lynn,
Newsweek,
7 Jan. 2025
-
So is the time he was pulled over for an expired plate.—
Shelly Bradbury,
The Denver Post,
8 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
However, with the opening of the Alaska Railroad in 1923, followed by the replacement of horse traffic with automobiles, travelers were able to go faster and farther, rendering many of the roadhouses obsolete.—
Laura Kiniry,
Smithsonian Magazine,
22 Jan. 2025
-
Companies that fail to adapt risk becoming obsolete.—
Subha Barry,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to extinct
Thesaurus Entries Near extinct
Cite this Entry
“Extinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinct. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share