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
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.
Several calves born last season are presumed dead – and at least one was killed by a boat strike. Emily Jones, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024 They were presumed dead, flung along with countless others into the mass graves dug across the country. Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 30 Dec. 2024 All 181 passengers and crew aboard a passenger jet that crashed upon landing in South Korea on Sunday morning are presumed dead except for two people rescued from the wreckage, authorities said. Sam Sweeney, ABC News, 29 Dec. 2024 After a days-long effort, a Coast Guard search was called off with the men presumed dead. Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for presumed dead 

Dictionary Entries Near presumed dead

Cite this Entry

“Presumed dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presumed%20dead. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!