1
as in blunt
being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner
the policeman's abrupt manner discouraged me from trying to claim that I hadn't seen the red light
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in steep
having an incline approaching the perpendicular
the gentle, rolling hills gradually give way to high mountains with abrupt sides
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sudden
not expected
his abrupt reappearance seems to have caught everyone off guard
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abrupt
This all feels too abrupt, and there are legitimate questions about how the Phillies have managed everything — no matter how good the opponent is.
—
Matt Gelb, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The result could be a presidency with far greater reach over economic regulation, immigration, and criminal justice—and fewer practical checks on abrupt changes in direction.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Alverno College's abrupt decision to sell its on-site childcare early this school year has resulted in some parents scrambling to find alternative day cares for their children.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Students and staff on the ground are scrambling to figure how to make sense of this abrupt policy shift.
—Vanessa Delgado, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abrupt
Matt Gelb, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The result could be a presidency with far greater reach over economic regulation, immigration, and criminal justice—and fewer practical checks on abrupt changes in direction.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Alverno College's abrupt decision to sell its on-site childcare early this school year has resulted in some parents scrambling to find alternative day cares for their children.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Students and staff on the ground are scrambling to figure how to make sense of this abrupt policy shift.
—Vanessa Delgado, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abrupt
Adjective
-
So began a campaign that fused blunt political messaging with bighearted moving images—a sensibility not unlike that of Nair’s films.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
-
The running back's response was blunt, even if not necessarily concise.—
Max Dible,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Falcons sacked McCarthy six times on the way to a 22-6 win, but playing against Allen will present a much steeper challenge.—
Josh Kendall,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
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Want access to even steeper discounts?—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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If travel is absolutely necessary, drive with caution and be prepared for sudden changes in conditions.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Earlier this month, Slick Rick invited an intimate audience to the historic Westlake Studios in Los Angeles to screen the short film.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Not nearly as greasy as a true balm, but richer than your typical face cream, this drugstore darling instantly soothes dry, chapped skin with the help of emollient shea butter, moisturizing vitamin B5, and calming madecassoside (a derivative of our fave, Centella asiastica, or cica for short).—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In the kitchen arena, standouts include KitchenAid stand mixers of course, however the Drew Barrymore toaster was an unexpected strong performer in our best toaster test update this year.—
Melissa Knific,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 Oct. 2025
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An unexpected winner from this round robin of renos is the W Union Square (from $650), which celebrated the completion of its $100 million renovation spearheaded by the Rockwell Group this September.—
Jake Emen,
Robb Report,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This pays off to some extent because Day-Lewis is such a mesmerizing presence, Ray’s gruff manner and terse communications hinting at dark mysteries to be revealed.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Sep. 2025
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Panday plays a convincingly gruff tortured artist alongside Padda’s struggling ingenue, and most of the screen time is devoted to their pairing instead of introducing tertiary excess.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Asked to assess his own performance afterward, Howard was curt.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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The answers Nora gets back from Azad’s father and brother are dismissive, curt, and even threatening.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
As her symptoms rapidly worsened, a rather brusque doctor was called to our house.—
Patti Newton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Sep. 2025
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In his breakthrough role, Redford played the brusque and dangerous Sundance opposite Paul Newman's personable Butch in the box-office smash, the iconic buddy Western about two outlaws on the run after a series of train robberies.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrupt. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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