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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Recent Examples of extinct
Why don’t corporations evolve such that all corporations or businesses are now the hyper-efficient descendants of a single ur-corporation 50 years ago, all other corporations having gone extinct in bankruptcy or been acquired?
—
John Werner, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Researchers have rediscovered a rare fish species presumed to be extinct after it was not seen for more than eight decades.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 17 Feb. 2025
Africa’s lion population has decreased by nearly half over the past quarter century, according to the African Wildlife Foundation, and the lion is regionally extinct in 15 African countries.
—Kathryn Romeyn, AFAR Media, 11 Feb. 2025
There, those who live along the border, which is reinforced by not one but three walls, are pushed, after a food crisis, to reanimate and eat extinct species—a process later appropriated by the superrich, for more voyeuristic amusements.
—David L. Ulin, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinct
John Werner, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Researchers have rediscovered a rare fish species presumed to be extinct after it was not seen for more than eight decades.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 17 Feb. 2025
Africa’s lion population has decreased by nearly half over the past quarter century, according to the African Wildlife Foundation, and the lion is regionally extinct in 15 African countries.
—Kathryn Romeyn, AFAR Media, 11 Feb. 2025
There, those who live along the border, which is reinforced by not one but three walls, are pushed, after a food crisis, to reanimate and eat extinct species—a process later appropriated by the superrich, for more voyeuristic amusements.
—David L. Ulin, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinct
Adjective
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Previously, White Sox games were televised on the now defunct NBC SportsNet Chicago.—
Brad Adgate,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
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In Georgia she got involved with a legendary, now defunct community health food store, Life’s Essentials, and several schools that promoted racial pride, good health, and collaboration.—
Cynthia R. Greenlee,
Bon Appétit,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
After being pulled over for an expired license plate, McCoy shot the pair with a pistol.—
Alexandra Koch,
Fox News,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Unlawful display of registration tab: At 5 p.m., deputies stopped a motorist at Lawrence Expressway and Prospect Road for expired registration.—
Anne Gelhaus,
The Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Lean manufacturing principles, continuous improvement, and just-in-time processes from our classic production systems are nowhere near being obsolete.—
Natan Linder,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
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Within decades, invasive research on lab animals could be obsolete, as new technology allows scientists to test cancer treatments on tissues grown from a patient’s own cells, or create detailed maps of Alzheimer’s disease in human brains.—
Celia Ford,
Vox,
3 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to extinct
Cite this Entry
“Extinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinct. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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