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Synonym Chooser

How is the word abrupt different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of abrupt are precipitous, sheer, and steep. While all these words mean "having an incline approaching the perpendicular," abrupt implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level.

a beach with an abrupt drop-off

When could precipitous be used to replace abrupt?

The words precipitous and abrupt are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, precipitous applies to an incline approaching the vertical.

the river winds through a precipitous gorge

When is sheer a more appropriate choice than abrupt?

The words sheer and abrupt can be used in similar contexts, but sheer suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse.

sheer cliffs that daunted the climbers

When would steep be a good substitute for abrupt?

The synonyms steep and abrupt are sometimes interchangeable, but steep implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is very difficult.

a steep hill
a steep dive

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of abrupt First, two contestants' past use of racial slurs online caused their abrupt removals from the hit reality TV dating show, one just days into filming and another late in the season. Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 13 July 2025 There have been plenty of scandals, including the abrupt elimination of two contestants following the resurfacing of past racist remarks. Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 12 July 2025 The Wimbledon women's final came to an abrupt close on Saturday as Poland's Iga Świątek delivered a swift, crushing defeat against American player Amanda Anisimova. Alana Wise, NPR, 12 July 2025 However, her time in Fiji came to an abrupt end as shown during Episode 30, which aired on Sunday, July 6. Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for abrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abrupt
Adjective
  • The cause of death was traumatic blunt force injuries.
    Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 21 July 2025
  • The magnetized tank struck the child, who died of blunt force trauma injuries.
    Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 20 July 2025
Adjective
  • The vertiginous fall of home prices in Austin, Texas, seems to have no end in sight, according to experts who believe that steep declines are likely to continue in the coming months.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
  • Since March, the Trump administration has oscillated between implementing and pausing steep tariffs on some of the United States’ largest trading partners.
    Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • The tragedy in Ruidoso highlights growing concerns about increasingly intense weather systems striking communities with little time to prepare for sudden surges of water.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025
  • In one particularly raw moment, a woman studying the photographs let out a sudden shriek.
    Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2025
Adjective
  • For beginners, Bravo recommends starting with short sessions and using a handle for support while your body adapts.
    Jordan Galloway, SELF, 15 July 2025
  • Families can also listen to short episodes of the Cow Tales Podcast and find more secret missions.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • And our sandwiches in the South are creative and sometimes unexpected.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 14 July 2025
  • Workers installing a water pipeline in Croatia made an unexpected discovery, unearthing the remains of an 18th-century wooden boat.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2025
Adjective
  • Audiences can often sense the corporate overlords’ gruff hands pushing these previously distinct programs together.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 July 2025
  • Their gruff cheers mismatched the high-pitched hum of the buggies.
    William Liang, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
Adjective
  • If that bluntness sound a little prosaic at first, there’s a curt poetry to it that comes into focus listening through 15 tracks that consist almost entirely of sisters Danielle, Alana and Este Haim handing in their respective resignations to long- or short-term partners, effectively immediately.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 20 June 2025
  • Long-winded or hesitant responses in meetings meet with a curt response.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 12 June 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • Going from Pitch Stop to Drama Room meant a brusque shift, with all four projects grappling with questions either directly tied to or adjacent to modern masculinity.
    Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 21 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Abrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrupt. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

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