1
as in to die
to stop living
12 people perished in the plane crash
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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
Related article The moments before 67 souls perished in a midair collision over the Potomac River
The wreckage of the American Airlines jet broke apart, according to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy.
—
Alaa Elassar, CNN, 2 Feb. 2025
DeVante McShann, 32; Katelyn McShann, 28; Bella Edwards, 8; and Aaliyah McShann, 3, all perished in the fire.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2025
Nine firemen perished, including two battalion chiefs.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2025
The majority of the victims were Jews, though tens of thousands of Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and victims of other nationalities also perished.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Alaa Elassar, CNN, 2 Feb. 2025
DeVante McShann, 32; Katelyn McShann, 28; Bella Edwards, 8; and Aaliyah McShann, 3, all perished in the fire.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2025
Nine firemen perished, including two battalion chiefs.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2025
The majority of the victims were Jews, though tens of thousands of Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and victims of other nationalities also perished.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perish
Verb
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In Nebraska, two people died after losing control of their vehicle amid Tuesday’s winter weather, according to the state patrol.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
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The Miracle of Gene Hackman Hackman's pacemaker showed that his last event was recorded on Feb. 17, indicating this is likely when the actor died, according to Mendoza.—
Rebecca Schneid,
TIME,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Officers responding to reports of a dead woman discovered a decomposing body inside a shed at an apartment complex, Utah police and news outlets reported.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacramento Bee,
24 Feb. 2025
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Vultures not only consume dead animals that might otherwise remain out in the elements to decompose, according to the Wildlife Center of Virginia.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Vaccination Rates As reported by the CDC, the measles vaccination rate among children in kindergarten nationally has fallen since 2019, from approximately 95 percent of children receiving a two-dose MMR coverage to 92.7 percent.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
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Although platforms can rise and fall faster than the tiny-eyeglasses fashion trend, the principles of good marketing stand the test of time.—
Renae Gregoire,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Millions of lives were at stake in the simulation, as government heads raced to decide whether or not to rocket nuclear warheads to deflect the asteroid or completely disintegrate it.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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Were we placed under the same unforgiving microscope, even the most robust self-confidence would disintegrate, and fast.—
Morgan Fargo,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Weather and Soil Considerations Dahlia tubers need moisture to grow but will rot in soggy soil.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
27 Feb. 2025
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Freezing speaks to all of these desires: Frozen vegetables don’t rot in the fridge.—
Meghan McCarron,
The Atlantic,
18 Feb. 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 12 Mar. 2025.
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