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

His sudden death has devastated his family and fellow car enthusiasts.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 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

His own species book had suffered a serious blow, if not a sudden death.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman