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
Sturgeon led the Scottish government for almost a decade but abruptly resigned as first minister in February 2023.
—ABC News, 31 May 2026
Nonetheless, a strong breeze threatens that window to shut abruptly.
—Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Just days earlier, the vote had been abruptly postponed as Republicans scrambled to redraw congressional boundaries in a way that would erase one of the state’s two majority-Black congressional districts and dilute the political influence that many in the congregation had fought for.
—Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026
Eight students were trapped for a few hours after the Iron Shark roller coaster at Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier stopped abruptly while making its 100-foot ascent on May 28, according to reporting from Houston ABC affiliate KTRK.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for abruptly
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ABC News, 31 May 2026
Nonetheless, a strong breeze threatens that window to shut abruptly.
—Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Just days earlier, the vote had been abruptly postponed as Republicans scrambled to redraw congressional boundaries in a way that would erase one of the state’s two majority-Black congressional districts and dilute the political influence that many in the congregation had fought for.
—Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026
Eight students were trapped for a few hours after the Iron Shark roller coaster at Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier stopped abruptly while making its 100-foot ascent on May 28, according to reporting from Houston ABC affiliate KTRK.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for abruptly
Cite this Entry
“Abruptly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abruptly. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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