dead on arrival

idiom

: having died before getting to a hospital, emergency room, etc.
The victim was dead on arrival at the hospital.
often used figuratively
Some are saying that any new tax proposal would be dead on arrival.

Examples of dead on arrival in a Sentence

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My father—husband, brother, Uncle Al, Big Al—was on the floor in a pool of blood, shot in the back, dead on arrival. Gordon Garland, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025 Police responded to a shooting that happened at a home in Texas City just before 1:30 a.m. and found 17-year-old Joshua Gonzales dead on arrival, the Texas City Police Department said. Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 14 Jan. 2025 His tax reform of 1978, a major priority, was dead on arrival even among notional allies. Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 2 Jan. 2025 Around 11 of them were dead on arrival, and three died within a year. Ars Technica, 29 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dead on arrival 

Dictionary Entries Near dead on arrival

Cite this Entry

“Dead on arrival.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead%20on%20arrival. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.

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