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
Following the actor's sudden death, Rizzo understandably went through a period of mourning for her husband.
—
Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2023
Autopsy results on former American swimming champion Jamie Cail reveal her sudden death this year at her residence in the U.S. Virgin Islands was caused by an accidental drug overdose, authorities said.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2023
Alongside her bandmates—cellist Lester St. Louis, bassist Jason Ajemian, and drummer Chad Taylor—the jazz trumpeter recorded most of the album in April 2022, at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art in Omaha, Nebraska, before her sudden death that August.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 25 Aug. 2023
This month marks 50 years since Bruce Lee’s sudden death at the age of 32, and likewise the semicentennial anniversary of his highest-profile feature, Enter the Dragon.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Aug. 2023
After the sudden death of a town’s mayor, Pierre (Manenti), an idealistic young doctor, is appointed to replace him.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sep. 2023
The film opens with a technique used to great effect in more prestige-y horror movies like The Quiet Place and Hereditary: the sudden death of a child.
—Vulture, 8 Sep. 2023
If the heart rhythm isn’t quickly restored, sudden death can occur.
—Christopher Desimone, M.d., Ph.d. Mayo Foundation For Medical Education and Research, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2023
The emotional response to the raid was heightened by the sudden death of the editor’s 98-year-old mother, who had railed furiously at the officers sorting through her belongings at their home and collapsed a day later.
—Jonathan O'Connell, Paul Farhi and Sofia Andrade, Anchorage Daily News, 26 Aug. 2023
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Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2023
Autopsy results on former American swimming champion Jamie Cail reveal her sudden death this year at her residence in the U.S. Virgin Islands was caused by an accidental drug overdose, authorities said.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2023
Alongside her bandmates—cellist Lester St. Louis, bassist Jason Ajemian, and drummer Chad Taylor—the jazz trumpeter recorded most of the album in April 2022, at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art in Omaha, Nebraska, before her sudden death that August.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 25 Aug. 2023
This month marks 50 years since Bruce Lee’s sudden death at the age of 32, and likewise the semicentennial anniversary of his highest-profile feature, Enter the Dragon.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Aug. 2023
After the sudden death of a town’s mayor, Pierre (Manenti), an idealistic young doctor, is appointed to replace him.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sep. 2023
The film opens with a technique used to great effect in more prestige-y horror movies like The Quiet Place and Hereditary: the sudden death of a child.
—Vulture, 8 Sep. 2023
If the heart rhythm isn’t quickly restored, sudden death can occur.
—Christopher Desimone, M.d., Ph.d. Mayo Foundation For Medical Education and Research, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2023
The emotional response to the raid was heightened by the sudden death of the editor’s 98-year-old mother, who had railed furiously at the officers sorting through her belongings at their home and collapsed a day later.
—Jonathan O'Connell, Paul Farhi and Sofia Andrade, Anchorage Daily News, 26 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sudden death.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of sudden death was
in the 14th century
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Dictionary Entries Near sudden death
Cite this Entry
“Sudden death.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sudden%20death. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
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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
More from Merriam-Webster on sudden death
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sudden death
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