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
The Mexican wolf is the most endangered wolf species in the world and nearly went extinct in the 1970s due to trapping, hunting and poisoning to protect livestock.
—
Jessica Boehm, Axios, 10 Mar. 2025
Researchers had based some informed guesses about just how massive the megalodon — a prehistoric giant fish that hunted the oceans 13 million years to 15 million years ago — was by comparing existing fossils of the extinct species to bones of the present-day great white shark.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 9 Mar. 2025
Colossal Biosciences Scientists have genetically engineered mice with some key characteristics of an extinct animal that was far larger — the woolly mammoth.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 4 Mar. 2025
Colossal said its woolly mouse would enable its scientists to test hypotheses about the link between specific DNA sequences and physical traits that enabled the mammoth, which went extinct around 4,000 years ago, to adapt to life in cold climates.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinct
Jessica Boehm, Axios, 10 Mar. 2025
Researchers had based some informed guesses about just how massive the megalodon — a prehistoric giant fish that hunted the oceans 13 million years to 15 million years ago — was by comparing existing fossils of the extinct species to bones of the present-day great white shark.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 9 Mar. 2025
Colossal Biosciences Scientists have genetically engineered mice with some key characteristics of an extinct animal that was far larger — the woolly mammoth.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 4 Mar. 2025
Colossal said its woolly mouse would enable its scientists to test hypotheses about the link between specific DNA sequences and physical traits that enabled the mammoth, which went extinct around 4,000 years ago, to adapt to life in cold climates.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinct
Adjective
-
The song was inspired by both a defunct Minneapolis bar as well as the birth of Wilson’s daughter.—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2025
-
The data hoarders collect zines, manuals, family photos, old television shows, and defunct websites—just about everything digital or digitizable at risk of disappearance.—
Julian Lucas,
The New Yorker,
14 Mar. 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
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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
Adjective
-
Consumers are not required to take any specific action, but the FDA advises checking for expired products and discarding them.—
Amber Brenza,
Health,
13 Mar. 2025
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Players with expired contracts or who have been released by their previous teams can commit to signing with new clubs.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Yet, the advent of commercial aviation in the 1950s rendered these icons of the seas obsolete almost overnight.—
David Nikel,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
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As Maryland transitions to clean energy, customers are left paying for obsolete gas pipelines.—
Susan Stevens Miller,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Extinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinct. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
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