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
The 58-year-old was identified by authorities as one of 16 workers who was missing and presumed dead in the days that followed the blast.
—
Jay Powell, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez hasn’t been seen since late 2022 and is presumed dead, even though his body has never been found.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2025
Before the latest hostage bodies were handed over to the Red Cross, Hamas had handed over four coffins of dead hostages, leaving at least 23 presumed dead and one unaccounted for, stillin the Gaza Strip.
—Maayan Lubell, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Her body has never been found and she is presumed dead.
—Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for presumed dead
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Jay Powell, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez hasn’t been seen since late 2022 and is presumed dead, even though his body has never been found.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2025
Before the latest hostage bodies were handed over to the Red Cross, Hamas had handed over four coffins of dead hostages, leaving at least 23 presumed dead and one unaccounted for, stillin the Gaza Strip.
—Maayan Lubell, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Her body has never been found and she is presumed dead.
—Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for presumed dead
Cite this Entry
“Presumed dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presumed%20dead. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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