Wikipedia
' is a type of cell death, caused by the cell being phagocytosed (i.e. eaten) by another cell, and therefore this form of cell death is prevented by blocking phagocytosis.
Phagocytosis of an otherwise-viable cell may occur because the cell is recognised as stressed, activated, senescent, damaged, pathogenic or non-self, or is misrecognised. Cells are phagocytosed as a result of: i) expressing eat-me signals on their surface, ii) losing don’t-eat-me signals, and/or iii) binding of opsonins. It is now clear that otherwise-viable cells can expose/bind such phagocytosis-promoting signals as a result of cell stress, activation or senescence. Phagoptosis is probably the most common form of cell death in the body as it is responsible for erythrocyte turnover. And there is increasing evidence that it mediates physiological death of neutrophils, T cells, platelets and stem cells, and thereby regulates inflammation, immunity, clotting and neurogenesis. Phagoptosis is a major form of host defence against pathogens and cancer cells. However, recent evidence indicates that excessive phagoptosis may kill host cells in inflammatory conditions, contributing to haemophagic conditions, and neuronal loss in the inflamed brain.
Phagoptosis is also discussed in more detail here: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Structural_Biochemistry/Cell_Signaling_Pathways/Phagoptosis