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
Maggie Steffens is in mourning after the sudden death of her sister-in-law, who came Paris to watch the water polo Olympian compete in the 2024 Summer Games.
—
Lindsay Kimble, Peoplemag, 28 July 2024
Authorities don’t believe there was any foul play in Richard Simmons’ sudden death last weekend, one day after celebrating his birthday.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 19 July 2024
The storied Irvine Park restaurant closed temporarily in 2019 after the sudden death of chef Kyle Bell and never reopened after the pandemic.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 18 July 2024
News spread of the ex-athlete’s passing on Sunday (July 14), with the Baltimore Sun first reporting on his sudden death.
—Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for sudden death 
Lindsay Kimble, Peoplemag, 28 July 2024
Authorities don’t believe there was any foul play in Richard Simmons’ sudden death last weekend, one day after celebrating his birthday.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 19 July 2024
The storied Irvine Park restaurant closed temporarily in 2019 after the sudden death of chef Kyle Bell and never reopened after the pandemic.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 18 July 2024
News spread of the ex-athlete’s passing on Sunday (July 14), with the Baltimore Sun first reporting on his sudden death.
—Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 15 July 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.
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Cite this Entry
“Sudden death.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sudden%20death. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
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