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
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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
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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
Ease off the accelerator gradually and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding.
—
Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025
Green's abrupt resignation immediately prompted speculation that mid-decade redistricting was growing more likely.
—Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 7 Sep. 2025
After evading nomination for eight straight weeks, Reilly’s run came to an abrupt and unexpected end.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
In late July, Willie Nelson was onstage during his set on the Outlaw Music Festival tour in Raleigh, North Carolina, when tour manager John Selman noticed an abrupt shift in the weather.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abrupt
Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025
Green's abrupt resignation immediately prompted speculation that mid-decade redistricting was growing more likely.
—Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 7 Sep. 2025
After evading nomination for eight straight weeks, Reilly’s run came to an abrupt and unexpected end.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
In late July, Willie Nelson was onstage during his set on the Outlaw Music Festival tour in Raleigh, North Carolina, when tour manager John Selman noticed an abrupt shift in the weather.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abrupt
Adjective
-
Leslie had been discovered deceased in her upstairs bathroom, with the autopsy listing her official cause of death as blunt force trauma.—
Claire Lempert,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
-
By reintroducing the War title, the Administration is sending a blunt message and in cyberspace, America is not only defending but also going on the offensive.—
Emil Sayegh,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Some technology geeks may indeed be attracted to these features, though there are trade-offs here, and steep ones, as many normies will also find these features absolutely infuriating.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Trump’s immigration crackdown is at odds with his efforts to bring foreign money into the US and could unsettle trade talks with South Korea, which in July pledged $350 billion in investments in exchange for being spared steep tariffs.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
And then all of a sudden, the pick.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Such a short distance is considered well within reach of a basic marksman.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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In short, The Paper doesn’t quite escape the shadow of its big brother, but that’s just fine with us.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Perhaps the most unexpected insights from our conversation were about leadership.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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Whether this unexpected lull means a season that falls (hopefully) short of those predictions remains uncertain.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
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The barbs were frequently aimed at the gruff owner of Mel’s Diner played by the late Vic Tayback.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
These and a few other basic elements recur throughout Martinů’s œuvre: curt themes, darting rhythms, tangy harmonies, glittering textures.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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The pillow talk on Man’s Best Friend often takes the curt, assertive tone of a person reproaching a precocious pet.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The result was completely was enchanting, including the brusque Communist-era service.—
Sarah Turner,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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The same substantive deficits afflict Louise-Parker, too, whose bright eyes and brusque wit are wasted in a role that’s villainous potential exists only in exposition.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrupt. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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