cardiac arrest

noun

: temporary or permanent cessation of the heartbeat

Examples of cardiac arrest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Then Adam fell forward, in sudden cardiac arrest. Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2026 Selena was taken to Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead from blood loss and cardiac arrest. Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026 Carrington said Ny'Leek died of cardiac arrest Thursday, a little more than a year after surviving a hit-and-run that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026 Our team found that a hospital cyberattack cut the odds of surviving a cardiac arrest without devastating brain damage by nearly 90% at nearby hospitals, not just the one that was attacked. Jeffrey Tully, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cardiac arrest

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cardiac arrest was in 1873

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Cite this Entry

“Cardiac arrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cardiac%20arrest. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

Medical Definition

cardiac arrest

noun
: abrupt temporary or permanent cessation of the heartbeat (as from ventricular fibrillation or asystole)

called also sudden cardiac arrest

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