The article discusses the concept of autophagic cell death (ACD) and whether it should be considered a distinct form of cell death. The authors argue that while cells can manifest large-scale autophagy before or during their death, autophagy is rarely, if ever, the mechanism by which cells actually die. They review the literature and identify several caveats when deciding whether autophagy is an important effector mechanism of cell death. The article highlights the distinction between "cell death with autophagy" and "cell death by autophagy," and discusses the challenges in defining and measuring the role of autophagy in cell death. The authors propose that the term ACD may be a misnomer and suggest that autophagy primarily serves a protective role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. They also discuss the potential for autophagy to act as an accomplice in apoptotic or necrotic cell death rather than a sole perpetrator. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for further research to clarify the role of autophagy in cell death and recommends specific approaches to address this question.The article discusses the concept of autophagic cell death (ACD) and whether it should be considered a distinct form of cell death. The authors argue that while cells can manifest large-scale autophagy before or during their death, autophagy is rarely, if ever, the mechanism by which cells actually die. They review the literature and identify several caveats when deciding whether autophagy is an important effector mechanism of cell death. The article highlights the distinction between "cell death with autophagy" and "cell death by autophagy," and discusses the challenges in defining and measuring the role of autophagy in cell death. The authors propose that the term ACD may be a misnomer and suggest that autophagy primarily serves a protective role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. They also discuss the potential for autophagy to act as an accomplice in apoptotic or necrotic cell death rather than a sole perpetrator. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for further research to clarify the role of autophagy in cell death and recommends specific approaches to address this question.