as in defunct
no longer existing
a few overgrown ruins are all that remain of that once mighty but now extinct civilization
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Recent Examples of extinct
Most of the initial groups have gone extinct, with the exception of primates, whales, and rodents.
—
Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2025
The egg was laid by a plant-eating sauropod, a huge, long-necked dinosaur that lived in the Late Cretaceous, shortly before dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 July 2025
Wetlands need restoration to once again catch phosphorus that pours from extinct volcanoes and prevent the growth of deadly algae.
—Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 15 July 2025
Still, the team hopes to eventually bioengineer a bird that closely resembles the extinct moa in size and form.
—Moná Thomas, People.com, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinct
Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2025
The egg was laid by a plant-eating sauropod, a huge, long-necked dinosaur that lived in the Late Cretaceous, shortly before dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 July 2025
Wetlands need restoration to once again catch phosphorus that pours from extinct volcanoes and prevent the growth of deadly algae.
—Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 15 July 2025
Still, the team hopes to eventually bioengineer a bird that closely resembles the extinct moa in size and form.
—Moná Thomas, People.com, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinct
Adjective
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Now defunct, the U.S. Agency for International Development officially closed its doors on July 1 when the State Department took over its remaining programs.—
Chris Boccia,
ABC News,
22 July 2025
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Note: The Austin Critics Table, a now defunct arts journalism group, had agreed in 2019 that actor, director, playwright and journalist Robert Faires, absent from the voting that year, deserved to be inducted into the subsequent Hall of Fame class.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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Food producers from Connecticut and nearby states send pallets of expired bread, popcorn, cereal and other products; they’re fed into the system, and the resulting feed is sold to New England farms.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
1 Aug. 2025
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The air traffic control worker who went by Lilian, discussed the incident in a TikTok video, saying the child was prohibited from flying because of his expired passport.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Right now the industry’s distribution model faces a radical alteration because insurance agents aren't becoming obsolete.—
Kori Hale,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
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The current bridge, built in 1936 and considered structurally obsolete, will be demolished next spring to make way for the new structure.—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry,
The Enquirer,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Extinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinct. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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