death throes
noun
: the violent movements and noises that are sometimes made by a person who is about to die
The opera ends with the hero in his death throes.
—often used figurativelythe death throes of a failing industry
Examples of death throes in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Two other stops provided an up-close look at the death throes of stars.
—
Rob Pegoraro,
ArsTechnica,
3 July 2026
Now the revolution is in its death throes.
—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Even diminished, both still endure; and even death throes can be made eternal when captured on screen by an idiosyncratic auteur.
—
Ben Croll,
IndieWire,
21 May 2026
For just one example of how this firehose of data is expected to transform our understanding of the cosmos, consider supernovas, the brilliant death throes of exhausted stars.
—
Quanta Magazine,
15 May 2026
This method could entail spurts of blood or violent death throes.
—
Jessica Camille Aguirre,
New Yorker,
2 May 2026
Hopefully, those are the death throes of the violent regime.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2026
But with the academic humanities in their death throes, Harper’s distinction between role and position may be largely beside the point.
—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
On Christmas, the Broncos will take a short flight up to Kansas City to witness the death throes of a franchise that only has a couple of games left on the throne.
—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
25 Dec. 2025
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.
Rob Pegoraro,
ArsTechnica,
3 July 2026
Now the revolution is in its death throes.
—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Even diminished, both still endure; and even death throes can be made eternal when captured on screen by an idiosyncratic auteur.
—
Ben Croll,
IndieWire,
21 May 2026
For just one example of how this firehose of data is expected to transform our understanding of the cosmos, consider supernovas, the brilliant death throes of exhausted stars.
—
Quanta Magazine,
15 May 2026
This method could entail spurts of blood or violent death throes.
—
Jessica Camille Aguirre,
New Yorker,
2 May 2026
Hopefully, those are the death throes of the violent regime.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2026
But with the academic humanities in their death throes, Harper’s distinction between role and position may be largely beside the point.
—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
On Christmas, the Broncos will take a short flight up to Kansas City to witness the death throes of a franchise that only has a couple of games left on the throne.
—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
25 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Death throes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20throes. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
