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 singer's sudden death sparked anger and distress among millions of fans in his home state Assam, and set off a wave of mourning.

From BBC

After Ronald's sudden death on 19 August from heart disease last year, his family wanted to see his body to say one final goodbye.

From BBC

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

It was said people with the condition were "at risk of sudden death at any time" and that was particularly true in times of illness or stress.

From BBC

Meanwhile, the Israeli spy thriller “Tehran,” which just completed its third season, has been shaken by the sudden death of showrunner Dana Eden amid production for its fourth season.

From MarketWatch