abruptly

adverb

abrupt·​ly ə-ˈbrəp(t)-lē How to pronounce abruptly (audio)
Synonyms of abruptly
: 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.
That trend gained significant momentum during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, when organizers abruptly restricted alcohol sales inside stadiums just days before the tournament began. Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026 French tennis player Arthur Gea abruptly left the court during his first-round match at the French Open on Sunday after pleading with the chair umpire for an emergency bathroom break. Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026 Kean resurfaces, talks to a reporter Nearly three months into his mysterious disappearance, Kean abruptly peeked back into public view on May 21. Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 23 May 2026 Shortly afterward, Senate Republicans abruptly left Washington without voting on a roughly $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement agencies. Eric Tucker, Fortune, 23 May 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abruptly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abruptly. Accessed 29 May. 2026.

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