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

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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