1
as in to die
to stop living
12 people perished in the plane crash
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to decompose
chiefly British
to go through decomposition
after being left out in the summer heat, the milk perished and had to be thrown out
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Recent Examples of perish
Now the terminal at Muan International Airport serves as a community center for grieving relatives of the 179 people who perished in the crash.
—
John Yoon, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2025
The 17th iteration is thought to have died, which leads to Mickey 18, but when the other didn’t perish, 17 and 18 have to figure out how to coexist.
Join our Watch Party!
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2025
City Controller Kenneth Mejia, in his own revenue projection report, offered a similarly gloomy outlook.
— A GRIM TALLY: About 2,500 homeless people died in Los Angeles County in 2023, perishing at an average of nearly seven people per day, health officials reported this week.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2025
In turning the lens on Cromwell, whose role is much less conspicuous in history, Straughan offers a broader portrait of the world around King Henry, one that lived, thrived and perished by his orders.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
John Yoon, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2025
The 17th iteration is thought to have died, which leads to Mickey 18, but when the other didn’t perish, 17 and 18 have to figure out how to coexist.
Join our Watch Party!
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2025
City Controller Kenneth Mejia, in his own revenue projection report, offered a similarly gloomy outlook.
— A GRIM TALLY: About 2,500 homeless people died in Los Angeles County in 2023, perishing at an average of nearly seven people per day, health officials reported this week.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2025
In turning the lens on Cromwell, whose role is much less conspicuous in history, Straughan offers a broader portrait of the world around King Henry, one that lived, thrived and perished by his orders.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perish
Verb
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The saxophonist in his band also died, according to manager Enrique Paulino.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
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Iconoclastic critic, art historian, and photographer Max Kozloff, who served as Artforum’s executive editor in the 1970s before turning to his own artistic practice, died on April 6.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The clippings quickly decompose, adding nutrients to the soil in the process.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Mar. 2025
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Like the dog, their bodies were decomposing with some mummification, a consequence of body type and climate in Santa Fe's especially dry air at an elevation of nearly 7,200 feet (2,200 meters).—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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However, that fight fell apart in early March, when a hand injury forced Whyte from the card.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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Over the last 25 years, the S&P 500 has fallen 4% in a single day 38 times, according to Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist for brokerage firm LPL Financial.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In the Parsi tradition, the bones are left there to gradually disintegrate over time, completing the return to nature without defiling the earth.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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The premier Copley Cup — which for decades drew the nation’s elite men’s varsity eights for an early-season east/west showdown – has disintegrated into an alumni race.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Such ancient artifacts, including those recently found at the pyramid site, have survived in the region for millennia due to the desert’s dryness—ideal for preserving organic materials that would rot in wet climates.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 Mar. 2025
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The piece was about the cycle of life—the apple would rot and eventually disintegrate.—
David Sheff,
ARTnews.com,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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What doesn’t decay this winter can be mulched up next spring.—
Jeff Lowenfels,
Anchorage Daily News,
22 Sep. 2022
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In particular, many theorists have wondered how the great complexity of life can be reconciled with the laws of thermodynamics that suggest that all systems must inevitably decay to a state of greatest disorder.—
The Physics arXiv Blog,
Discover Magazine,
29 Apr. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perish. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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