EXTINCT Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

extinct

adjective

ik-ˈstiŋ(k)t

Definition of extinct

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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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 extinct In 1987, biologists captured the last free-flying condor to transfer it to captivity, and the largest flying North American bird species was officially declared extinct in the wild. — David Ginsburg, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026 Lower and mid-tier bowl games might become extinct, although the six prominent bowls on and around New Year’s Day — Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Orange, Cotton and Peach — should continue to host the CFP quarterfinals and semifinals. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 The predators were locally extinct in California and the West, surviving mostly in rural Minnesota with another 40 animals in Michigan. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026 There, researchers have just announced that AI may help hasten the return of the extinct dodo, with the flightless bird, which vanished from the world more than 350 years ago, likely walking among us again sometime in the early 2030s. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for extinct

Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinct

Adjective

The 307-mile Great Redwood Trail planned along a defunct Northern California rail line is colliding with the Wailaki tribe, as members decry hikers trampling ancestral villages and graves.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Balaban & Katz also founded Chicago's first commercial television station, the long-defunct WBKB-TV Channel 4.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of defunct

Adjective

An America lost to time, remembered in photos The mall’s future is now determined — and its past reveals a version of America perhaps long gone.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Oct. 2026
Suddenly, photos, videos, or important documents are just… gone.

— StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 15 May 2026

Definition of gone

Adjective

The Colts star was not arrested, but was cited for an expired registration and given a summons for possession of marijuana, per ESPN.

— Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2026
Troopers found that the vehicle had an expired Ohio registration, the warrant affidavit said.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of expired

Adjective

Whether machines can make conventional money obsolete remains an open question.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
Advertisement That prescription has rankled many cybersecurity experts who scoff at the possibility that their expertise will be rendered obsolete.

— Harry Booth, Time, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of obsolete

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externships

extinct

extinction

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“Extinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinct. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of extinct

adjective

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