presumed dead
idiom
: believed to be dead
After the earthquake several people were missing and presumed dead.
Examples of presumed dead in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The parents of an 8-year-old girl who remains missing and presumed dead from Camp Mystic after catastrophic Texas floodwaters ravaged the area have sued the camp and its owners for negligence.
—
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
Stu, of course, was presumed dead after the events of the original Scream, and Lillard says neither his wife, Heather, nor their three children know how or why his character returns for the new movie.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Court papers said they were headed home to family members when the strike occurred and now are presumed dead.
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 27 Jan. 2026
In a statement on Saturday, the Northwest Avalanche Center said one of the remaining tourers was fully buried and killed by the avalanche and the other was fully buried and presumed dead.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
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Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
Stu, of course, was presumed dead after the events of the original Scream, and Lillard says neither his wife, Heather, nor their three children know how or why his character returns for the new movie.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Court papers said they were headed home to family members when the strike occurred and now are presumed dead.
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 27 Jan. 2026
In a statement on Saturday, the Northwest Avalanche Center said one of the remaining tourers was fully buried and killed by the avalanche and the other was fully buried and presumed dead.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for presumed dead
Cite this Entry
“Presumed dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presumed%20dead. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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