dead on arrival
idiom
: having died before getting to a hospital, emergency room, etc.
The victim was dead on arrival at the hospital.
—often used figurativelySome are saying that any new tax proposal would be dead on arrival.
Examples of dead on arrival in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Among the holdouts are members of the SALT Caucus, who have been adamant that any deal from the Senate that does not match the one that passed the House is dead on arrival.
—
Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 27 June 2025
Cynthia, seeing Carmen and Julius bleeding, sped to the hospital, one minute away, but Carmen was pronounced dead on arrival.
—Sally Ventura
june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
There’s also an AB outlet for charging devices so your phone isn’t dead on arrival.
—AFAR Media, 10 July 2025
Two were dead on arrival and the third was being treated for injuries, Anderson said.
—Rebecca Boone, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dead on arrival
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Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 27 June 2025
Cynthia, seeing Carmen and Julius bleeding, sped to the hospital, one minute away, but Carmen was pronounced dead on arrival.
—Sally Ventura
june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
There’s also an AB outlet for charging devices so your phone isn’t dead on arrival.
—AFAR Media, 10 July 2025
Two were dead on arrival and the third was being treated for injuries, Anderson said.
—Rebecca Boone, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dead on arrival
Cite this Entry
“Dead on arrival.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead%20on%20arrival. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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