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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
Researchers had observed this sudden death of entanglement since the late 2000s, in experiments and simulations on ordinary classical computers.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2024
After writing nearly 50 episodes of NCIS starting with show’s inaugural season in 2003, the pair were elevated to co-showrunners in November 2016 following the sudden death of Gary Glasberg two months earlier.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Aug. 2024
The three-time gold medalist, 31, posted an emotional tribute to her late sister-in-law Lulu Conner on Instagram on Saturday, Aug. 3, following Connor's sudden death at 26 on July 24 after coming to Paris to watch Steffens compete at the 2024 Olympic Games.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 3 Aug. 2024
The designer joined Moschino at the end of January, following the sudden death last November of Davide Renne, who had succeeded Jeremy Scott’s decade-long tenure.
—Luisa Zargani, WWD, 1 Aug. 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
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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 19 Sep. 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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