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
Payne’s sudden death led to an outpouring of tributes from fans and fellow artists.
—
Conor Murray, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
Her sudden death, at 39, just a few weeks after the album’s recording, tempts a retrospective reading of ((world war)).
—Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
The sudden death of Crazy Town frontman Shifty Shellshock three months ago has been linked to fentanyl, the powerful synthetic opioid also cited in the untimely deaths of fellow musicians Prince, Tom Petty, Mac Miller, and Lil Peep.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2024
Researchers had observed this sudden death of entanglement since the 2000s, in experiments and simulations on ordinary classical computers.
—Ben Brubaker, WIRED, 22 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sudden death 
Conor Murray, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
Her sudden death, at 39, just a few weeks after the album’s recording, tempts a retrospective reading of ((world war)).
—Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
The sudden death of Crazy Town frontman Shifty Shellshock three months ago has been linked to fentanyl, the powerful synthetic opioid also cited in the untimely deaths of fellow musicians Prince, Tom Petty, Mac Miller, and Lil Peep.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2024
Researchers had observed this sudden death of entanglement since the 2000s, in experiments and simulations on ordinary classical computers.
—Ben Brubaker, WIRED, 22 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.
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Cite this Entry
“Sudden death.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sudden%20death. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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