demise 1 of 2

noun

di-ˈmīz How to pronounce demise (audio)
Definition of demisenext
1
as in death
the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities inherited all of the estate upon the sudden demise of his grandfather

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in termination
the act of ceasing to exist the gradual demise of the Roman Empire over the course of several centuries

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in downfall
a loss of status after her demise as the doyenne of New York society, the mere mention of her name was regarded as a faux pas

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

demise

2 of 2

verb

as in to die
to stop living our much beloved, recently demised leader

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example 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 demise
Noun
Above all, the election could herald the political demise of Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving PM, who has led the nation for all but 18 months since 2009. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 18 Oct. 2026 Columnist Bill Plaschke wrote how a team with seemingly every advantage fell short, beat writer Maddie Lee documented what led to the demise, while columnist Bill Shaikin provided updates to several questions on the team’s future. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Verb
The full ramifications of FTX’s insolvency and demise remain unclear, but many investors who had stored cryptocurrency on the exchange stand to lose a great deal. — Mia Taylor, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2022 According to James Sinclair, director of marine archaeology for the AllenX Maravillas project, the researchers are delving into the mystery of the ship’s demise by thoroughly mapping all of their finds. — Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 July 2022 See All Example Sentences for demise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demise
  1. death
  2. termination
  3. downfall
  4. die
  5. fate
  6. dissolution
  7. down
  8. fall
Noun
  • The Kern County Coroner’s office will determine his cause of death, Hardy said.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Following her death, Trail dismembered Loofe’s body to avoid getting caught.
    — Samantha Bergeson, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of death
Noun
  • The council evaluated four competing proposals solicited after the city issued a contract termination notice to trash hauler Republic Services in September.
    — Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Ricardo Salazar-Rey, now a former history professor at UConn’s Stamford campus, was informed of his termination in a letter dated Tuesday from Amy Gorin, the university’s Senior Vice Provost.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of termination
Noun
  • The sentences cap a stunning downfall for the brothers, particularly Tal and Oren, who rose to prominence as luxury real estate brokers handling multimillion-dollar properties and catering to wealthy clients.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Vucic’s downfall mirrors that of Hungary’s Orban There are strong parallels with Hungary, where strongman Viktor Orbán was defeated earlier this year.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of downfall
Verb
  • Kate Whiteman, the woman who first filed a lawsuit against the men, died in late 2025 at age 45 in Australia.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Rent played its first preview off-Broadway, at the New York Theatre Workshop, on January 25, 1996—the same day that Jonathan Larson, its 35-year-old composer and librettist, died suddenly at his home in Manhattan.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of die
Noun
  • Finn Gomez / Getty Voters in more than three dozen states will determine the fate of nearly 150 ballot measures on Election Day that will shape local policy on a wide range of issues.
    — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 26 Oct. 2026
  • There’s this connection between Americans’ lack of control right now and leaving their fates in the hands of others.
    — Maria Bamford, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of fate
Noun
  • His departure, alongside that of Benny Gantz, effectively ended the national unity arrangement and precipitated the dissolution of the war cabinet.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Netanyahu’s hard-right coalition partners frequently call for the West Bank’s annexation and the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority in the territory.
    — Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of dissolution
Noun
  • Antetokounmpo was everywhere, throwing a down a poster dunk over Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, hitting pull-up threes and assisting on a bunch of the Heat’s three-pointers.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The best way to alleviate the pressure, therefore, is not to wait on a return but to avoid stringing together so many obvious passing downs that allow the edge rushers to tee off.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of down
Verb
  • In most cases where the acquirer is en route to paying a price amounting to a humongous PE, the acquirer’s stock falls.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Orionid meteor shower creates one of the most brilliant displays in the night sky each fall — but this year’s celestial event may have a dimmer showing due to a bright moon.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of fall

Browse Nearby Words

demireps
demise
demised
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Demise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demise. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shindig

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All