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. Rutherford
Examples of abruptly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The crypto exchange filed for bankruptcy in November after depositors and investors abruptly withdrew funds from the platform amid concerns about FTX’s ties to its sister hedge fund, Alameda Research.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 13 Sep. 2023
After the 0-0 game between Manchester Valley and Harford Tech ended abruptly and deemed a tie after lighting was reported in the midst of overtime, Mavericks head coach John Woodley was all smiles.
—Timothy Dashiell, Baltimore Sun, 12 Sep. 2023
But much of those revenues disappeared when COVID abruptly shut down company and college cafeterias, Commonwealth’s main customers.
—BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023
Many forecast models then turn Lee abruptly northward.
—Leigh Morgan, al, 7 Sep. 2023
Trial abruptly adjourns for the day The first day of Paxton’s impeachment trial ended about an hour earlier than expected.
—Aarón Torres, Dallas News, 7 Sep. 2023
Back in May, the West Virginia lawmaker abruptly canceled a committee vote to advance the nominee to the Senate floor, citing concerns about the appliance efficiency rules.
—Nancy Vu, Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2023
This incident comes a month after McConnell abruptly stopped speaking and stood silently for roughly 28 seconds during a press conference and had to be escorted away from a lectern by his Republican colleagues.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2023
Temperatures hit 118 degrees just as smugglers abruptly began steering migrants from Africa and Asia here to request asylum.
—Anita Snow The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 2 Sep. 2023
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Allison Morrow, CNN, 13 Sep. 2023
After the 0-0 game between Manchester Valley and Harford Tech ended abruptly and deemed a tie after lighting was reported in the midst of overtime, Mavericks head coach John Woodley was all smiles.
—Timothy Dashiell, Baltimore Sun, 12 Sep. 2023
But much of those revenues disappeared when COVID abruptly shut down company and college cafeterias, Commonwealth’s main customers.
—BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023
Many forecast models then turn Lee abruptly northward.
—Leigh Morgan, al, 7 Sep. 2023
Trial abruptly adjourns for the day The first day of Paxton’s impeachment trial ended about an hour earlier than expected.
—Aarón Torres, Dallas News, 7 Sep. 2023
Back in May, the West Virginia lawmaker abruptly canceled a committee vote to advance the nominee to the Senate floor, citing concerns about the appliance efficiency rules.
—Nancy Vu, Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2023
This incident comes a month after McConnell abruptly stopped speaking and stood silently for roughly 28 seconds during a press conference and had to be escorted away from a lectern by his Republican colleagues.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2023
Temperatures hit 118 degrees just as smugglers abruptly began steering migrants from Africa and Asia here to request asylum.
—Anita Snow The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 2 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abruptly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1565, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near abruptly
Cite this Entry
“Abruptly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abruptly. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on abruptly
Nglish: Translation of abruptly for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of abruptly for Arabic Speakers
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