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
Forward abruptly shuttered operations in 2024.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 12 Jan. 2026
The call was abruptly hung up, and two return phone calls went unanswered.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
Hundreds of bills that didn’t cross the finish line last year remain in play, including a change to how school speeding zone cameras operate, which House members were in the midst of debating when the Senate abruptly adjourned in April.
—Michelle Baruchman, AJC.com, 12 Jan. 2026
And having rolled your eyes in ecstasy at the solid then—abruptly—molten Modica chocolate pudding, edge into the cigar lounge or nurse a Tasca D’Almerita red on a terrace wrapped in cashmere and flickering lanterns.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abruptly
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Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 12 Jan. 2026
The call was abruptly hung up, and two return phone calls went unanswered.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
Hundreds of bills that didn’t cross the finish line last year remain in play, including a change to how school speeding zone cameras operate, which House members were in the midst of debating when the Senate abruptly adjourned in April.
—Michelle Baruchman, AJC.com, 12 Jan. 2026
And having rolled your eyes in ecstasy at the solid then—abruptly—molten Modica chocolate pudding, edge into the cigar lounge or nurse a Tasca D’Almerita red on a terrace wrapped in cashmere and flickering lanterns.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 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 17 Jan. 2026.
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