EXTINCT Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

extinct

adjective

ik-ˈstiŋ(k)t

Definition of extinct

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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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.

Recent Examples of extinct As the Danube waters shrank in Bulgaria, researchers were thrilled to find and recover a jawbone, tusks, a shoulder blade, ribs and other bone fragments belonging to an extinct woolly mammoth buried deep in the sand. — CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 Megalodons were the largest predatory sharks in Earth's history, and went extinct around 4 million years ago. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026 The species returned to the area in 2019 after going almost extinct in the late 1800s. — Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 14 Aug. 2026 This history means Yellowstone is considered active rather than extinct. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for extinct

Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinct

Adjective

And under three coaches in the past six years, the Bruins’ football team went 36-33 and notched only one bowl victory, in the now-defunct LA Bowl.

— Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
This has been a stumbling block for other interstellar projects, such as the apparently defunct Breakthrough Starshot, which wanted to blast tiny sailcraft to Proxima Centauri — part of the Alpha Centauri system — using powerful lasers.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of defunct

Adjective

Caregivers are reminded never to use an expired car seat, as outlined in the product user manual.

— Ayesha Ali, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Using expired serums or creams as part of your nighttime routine can leave you with weaker results and a higher chance of irritation.

— Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of expired

Adjective

And although, as a survey-style telescope, Roman boasts a wider, faster view of the sky than either Hubble or JWST, McEnery emphasized that doesn’t make these more focused missions obsolete.

— Lee Billings, Scientific American, 31 Aug. 2026
The same practice can be revolutionary in one company, incremental in another, and obsolete in a third.

— Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of obsolete

Browse Nearby Words

externships

extinct

extinction

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“Extinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinct. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of extinct

adjective

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