abruptly

adverb

abrupt·​ly ə-ˈbrəp(t)-lē How to pronounce abruptly (audio)
Synonyms of abruptlynext
: 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
The small, rocky Anacapa Island [California] has steep cliffs which rise abruptly from the ocean on almost every side …David J. Rutherford

Examples of abruptly in a Sentence

the car in front stopped abruptly, and we almost hit it
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But that all stopped abruptly once Kim was gone. Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026 The allegations prompted several members of his campaign to abruptly walk away from their jobs. Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026 In 1980, an Isamu Noguchi sculpture was abruptly removed from the lobby of the Bank of Tokyo in New York. Terry Nguyen, ARTnews.com, 10 Apr. 2026 The impact shattered the glass door instantly, sending debris flying and abruptly ending the standoff. Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for abruptly

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of abruptly was in 1565

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Cite this Entry

“Abruptly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abruptly. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.

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