1
as in extinct
no longer existing
a stack of brochures and a few faded placards are all that remain of the defunct organization
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fallen
no longer living
a defunct species that we know only through fossil remains
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Recent Examples of defunct
Join 13 others in the comments View Comments Though defunct objects in space routinely fall out of orbit, most pieces of debris disintegrate entirely during the reentry process.
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Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
Getty Images To be sure, some of the discourse has centered around how inflationary pressures have made a handful of these hacks defunct.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 26 Apr. 2025
Christopher Hoenig, a spokesperson for Jersey Central Power & Light, said that the power company de-energized high-voltage lines around the defunct Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant to protect the safety of firefighters in the area.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
The shells are transported to a storage site in East Haven, a defunct quarry that’s high, dry and far enough from homes to avoid any odor issues.
—Jillian Freyer, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defunct
Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
Getty Images To be sure, some of the discourse has centered around how inflationary pressures have made a handful of these hacks defunct.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 26 Apr. 2025
Christopher Hoenig, a spokesperson for Jersey Central Power & Light, said that the power company de-energized high-voltage lines around the defunct Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant to protect the safety of firefighters in the area.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
The shells are transported to a storage site in East Haven, a defunct quarry that’s high, dry and far enough from homes to avoid any odor issues.
—Jillian Freyer, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defunct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defunct
Adjective
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The weaker strains have since gone extinct, according to new research.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 June 2025
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Deep-seafloor-dwelling foraminifera, which were far away from the surface and were able to keep feeding on the remains of dead organisms, were mostly fine, but nine out of ten planktonic species went extinct.—
Tim Vernimmen,
Smithsonian Magazine,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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Emergency responders performed life-saving measures before he was pronounced dead, Allard said.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
7 June 2025
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The female passenger — who has not been identified by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office coroner division — was pronounced dead at the scene.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Players with expired contracts can sign with an expansion team during the window, but will not be eligible for selection in the expansion draft.—
Carol Schram,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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Ting’s Filipino Bistro 10 critical violations in an April 29 routine inspection 405 Main St. An inspector discovered a bottle of expired cocktail sauce sitting on top of the water heater at the River Market restaurant.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
11 May 2025
Adjective
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Musk has falsely claimed that millions of Americans who are deceased are still receiving Social Security checks.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
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Granted, all of the main subjects—Joan, John, their parents, Q, Joan’s brother, the psychiatrists—are deceased.—
Evelyn McDonnell
June 5,
Literary Hub,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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So many firsts, gone, charred to ash, just remnants of an area that once represented Black prosperity and joy.—
Maya Richard-Craven,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
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The original pioneers were mostly busy making non-hyperpop or gone: SOPHIE tragically died in 2021; 100 gecs spent years toiling to make their zany stadium-rock second album.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
3 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Defunct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defunct. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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