abruptly
adverb
abrupt·ly
ə-ˈbrəp(t)-lē 
: in an abrupt manner : in a sudden and unexpected way
He left abruptly.
The car swerved abruptly onto the exit ramp.
Her career as a psychologist ended abruptly several years ago when a hacker broke into some of her private client files and made them public …—
Michael Logan
Michael LoganThe small, rocky Anacapa Island [California] has steep cliffs which rise abruptly from the ocean on almost every side …—David J. Rutherford
David J. RutherfordExamples of abruptly in a Sentence
the car in front stopped abruptly, and we almost hit it
Recent Examples on the Web
Where the 2016 World Series champions saw their contention window close rather abruptly, this iteration might be better equipped to last if Hoyer invests in the development of those players.
—Jared Wyllys, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Unfortunately, a drunken Ben makes a heinous error in judgment that abruptly extinguishes the generosity of their hosts.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 27 June 2025
Advertisement Strikes reinforce Chinese view of U.S. instability China already saw the U.S. under the Trump Administration as an unstable partner, particularly after Trump slammed the world with staggering tariff rates before abruptly reversing course.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 27 June 2025
That is when a judge abruptly dismissed their case, despite the mother’s objections, because the judge sided with a DHS lawyer who motioned for the dismissal during the hearing, the complaint says.
—Julia Marnin, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for abruptly
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.
Jared Wyllys, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Unfortunately, a drunken Ben makes a heinous error in judgment that abruptly extinguishes the generosity of their hosts.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 27 June 2025
Advertisement Strikes reinforce Chinese view of U.S. instability China already saw the U.S. under the Trump Administration as an unstable partner, particularly after Trump slammed the world with staggering tariff rates before abruptly reversing course.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 27 June 2025
That is when a judge abruptly dismissed their case, despite the mother’s objections, because the judge sided with a DHS lawyer who motioned for the dismissal during the hearing, the complaint says.
—Julia Marnin, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for abruptly
Cite this Entry
“Abruptly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abruptly. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share