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

See Examples For:

sudden death

And, by all accounts, Graham was neither ambitious nor a politician until her brother’s sudden death in July.

From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026

While her sudden death at the age of 36 is nothing but tragic, I question the DEA’s involvement as a good use of federal resources.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026

In tears, Marlene Nino said she felt shaken and powerless in the face of her sister's sudden death.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

We start this week in Washington, where lawmakers are reeling from the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham over the weekend.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 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