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

The small, rocky Anacapa Island [California] has steep cliffs which rise abruptly from the ocean on almost every side …

—David J. Rutherford

Synonyms of abruptly

• suddenly

Examples of abruptly in a Sentence

the car in front stopped abruptly, and we almost hit it

Recent Examples on the Web

But that's not the case for VA loans, since the VA abruptly ended the program. — Quil Lawrence, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026

The chief executive of California’s High Speed Rail Authority abruptly resigned amid intensifying scrutiny over cost overruns, project delays and wasteful expenses. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026

The last couple's session was ended abruptly by Drew in a way that left Schori on edge. — Megan De Mar, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

The first confirmation of their mutual attraction arrives abruptly in chapter six, which begins with an unnerving in medias res scene of Azriel and Elain engaged in a secret makeout session. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for abruptly

• corruptly