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
Pawula was working for the Big Tent Coalition, a political action committee founded by Tim Ozinga, R-Mokena, who was state representative in the 37th House District before abruptly resigning in April 2024.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
The Washington Post’s publisher and CEO Will Lewis has abruptly stepped down, just days after the newspaper laid off one-third of its staff, including at least 300 journalists in the newsroom.
—Andrew Kirell, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
Driving west on Lake Street in Minneapolis, Emily Phillips abruptly stopped talking mid-sentence, noticing a pickup truck with heavily tinted windows.
—Conor Wight, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
Despite wide public interest, the program quietly and abruptly ended last year — a victim, in some ways, of its own success.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abruptly
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Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
The Washington Post’s publisher and CEO Will Lewis has abruptly stepped down, just days after the newspaper laid off one-third of its staff, including at least 300 journalists in the newsroom.
—Andrew Kirell, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
Driving west on Lake Street in Minneapolis, Emily Phillips abruptly stopped talking mid-sentence, noticing a pickup truck with heavily tinted windows.
—Conor Wight, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
Despite wide public interest, the program quietly and abruptly ended last year — a victim, in some ways, of its own success.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 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 8 Feb. 2026.
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