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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
More than $46,000 has been raised through the online fundraiser in the three days following Espinal’s sudden death.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 25 Sep. 2024
The Nashville actress gave her first interview about the sudden death of her brother Jansen, who died suddenly at age 28 last year from an undiagnosed heart condition.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 18 Sep. 2024
Nicole Kidman arrived in Italy for the Venice Film Festival awards but had to leave shortly after landing due to the sudden death of her mother, Janelle Ann Kidman.
—Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Sep. 2024
After the news of Rich Homie Quan’s sudden death on Thursday (Sept. 5), the rap world is in mourning.
—Angel Diaz, Billboard, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sudden death
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
Articles Related to sudden death
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 6 Oct. 2024.
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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