sudden death

noun

1

: unexpected death that is instantaneous or occurs within minutes from any cause other than violence

sudden death following coronary occlusion

2

: extra play to break a tie in a sports contest in which the first to score or gain the lead wins

Examples of sudden death in a Sentence

We won 27–24 in sudden death.

a serious heart condition that can result in sudden death

Recent Examples on the Web

His romance with Meredith became one of the show's most popular storylines, which made his sudden death in season 11 all the more devastating. —Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Feb. 2026

His sudden death left many questions unanswered. —Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026

Capitalizing on a perfect cross-crease pass from Zach Werenski, Hughes buried the winning goal just one minute and 41 seconds into sudden death. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 24 Feb. 2026

With both sides stuck in a draw after three periods, the Olympic overtime rules are that of the NHL regular season – 3-on-3 sudden death hockey. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 22 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sudden death

• shibboleth
• beth
• breath
• heth
• lethe
• meth
• seth
• sheth
• sneath

Kids Definition

sudden death

noun

: extra play to break a tie in a sports contest in which the first to score or gain the lead wins

Medical Definition

sudden death

noun

: unexpected death that is instantaneous or occurs within minutes or hours from any cause other than violence

sudden death following coronary occlusion

especially : sudden cardiac death