death rattle

noun

: a rattling or gurgling sound produced by air passing through mucus in the lungs and air passages of a dying person

Examples of death rattle 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.
By the mid-1990s, the slasher franchises of yore had choked out a collective death rattle. EW.com, 20 July 2025 The early aughts marked the death rattle of a coherent zeitgeist. Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2025 If there’s even an infinitesimal difference the crowd can make in these spots, better to hear unscrupulous applause than the death rattle that fell across the Garden as the ball hung in the air then plunged it straight to hell at the end of regulation. Kyle Wagner, New York Daily News, 23 May 2025 For many, this is another death rattle for college sports, a sign of what name, image and likeness money and unlimited transferring have wrought. Seth Emerson, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025 The result is an ominous death rattle for cinema as it was known through the 20th century, and a frightening funhouse maze without a center. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025 Rory Burns won't forget hearing the death rattle behind his legs first ball to signify that this tour wasn't going to start or end well. Tim Ellis, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024 The new Germany couldn’t tell its birth pangs from its death rattles. Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 2 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1781, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of death rattle was in 1781

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Cite this Entry

“Death rattle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20rattle. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

death rattle

noun
: a rattling or gurgling sound produced by air passing through mucus in the lungs and air passages of a dying person
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