death on

Idioms

Very effective against; also, very fond of. For example, “He is a wonderful fielder and sure death on bunts” (Christy Mathewson, Pitching, 1912), or The boss is death on tardiness, or She's death on the latest fashions. [Slang; early 1800s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Al Jazeera said Wishah's death on Saturday "constitutes a new and flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, and reflects a continued systematic policy of targeting journalists and silencing the voice of truth".

From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026

The actor’s family announced his death on Friday.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

After his death on April 8 last year, Satrapi founded the Mattias and Marjane Ripa-Satrapi Cinema Foundation to support foreign students wishing to come to Paris to study filmmaking.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

Resuming a hearing, Hampshire coroner Jason Pegg said the full circumstances surrounding the death on 3 December had not been fully scrutinised.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

“You seen her. That bird’s as old as dirt. She’s so old I bet she used to step over dinosaur turds. I ain’t gonna have her death on my hands.”

From "The Watsons Go to Birmingham" by Christopher Paul Curtis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023