sudden death

American  

noun

Sports.

1. an overtime period in which a tied contest is won and play is stopped immediately after one of the contestants scores, as in football, or goes ahead, as in golf.

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sudden death British  

noun

1. (in sports, etc) an extra game or contest to decide the winner of a tied competition

2. an unexpected or quick death

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Other Word Forms

• sudden-death adjective

Etymology

Origin of sudden death

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

The Dodgers’ Miguel Rojas won’t take bereavement leave or travel back to his native Venezuela following the sudden death of his father, Miguel Rojas Sr., manager Dave Roberts said before the game.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

When Sangha heard news reports about Perry's sudden death, she tried to cover her tracks.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

It was only after Huber’s sudden death that his daughter sold the brand to Estée Lauder in 1995.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

When Rupert’s children watched its too-close-for-comfort version of the chaos following Logan Roy’s sudden death, they leapt to nail down their family’s succession plan before it was too late.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

If you need a sudden death tiebreaker, you can be very complicated, but you have to be fair.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan