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sudden death

noun

Sports.

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.

sudden death

noun

(in sports, etc) an extra game or contest to decide the winner of a tied competition
an unexpected or quick death

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Other Word Forms

sudden-death adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of sudden death¹

First recorded in 1825–35

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Doctors have warned her that - after eight months on hunger strike - she's now at risk of sudden death.

From

It was Sarah who repaired the watch as a birthday gift to her father, and her sudden death was central to Joel’s grief.

From

Days after Trachtenberg’s sudden death, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said the actor’s official cause and manner of death would remain undetermined, citing her family’s request.

From

But Walter’s sudden death by suicide has left everyone in his circle, including Apollo, shocked and grieving.

From

Quintanilla-Perez was born in 1971 in Lake Jackson, Texas, and became one of the most influential Latin artists of all time before her sudden death at just 23.

From

sudden adult death syndrome sudden infant death syndrome

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