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
Across Spain and Portugal, trains and traffic lights abruptly stopped working.
—Natasha Bernal, Wired News, 28 Apr. 2025
Organizers and artists are scrambling to find new venues after the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts abruptly canceled a week's worth of events celebrating LGBTQ+ rights tied to this summer's World Pride festival in Washington, D.C.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
The Department of Justice announced Friday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will reinstate the immigration records of international students whose student visa data had been abruptly terminated, often due to minor or dismissed legal infractions.
—Nik Popli, Time, 25 Apr. 2025
Maryland Opera was formed from the ashes of the former Baltimore Opera Company, which abruptly liquidated its assets and shut down during the 2008 recession.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 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.
Natasha Bernal, Wired News, 28 Apr. 2025
Organizers and artists are scrambling to find new venues after the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts abruptly canceled a week's worth of events celebrating LGBTQ+ rights tied to this summer's World Pride festival in Washington, D.C.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
The Department of Justice announced Friday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will reinstate the immigration records of international students whose student visa data had been abruptly terminated, often due to minor or dismissed legal infractions.
—Nik Popli, Time, 25 Apr. 2025
Maryland Opera was formed from the ashes of the former Baltimore Opera Company, which abruptly liquidated its assets and shut down during the 2008 recession.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 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 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share