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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Gradually ease off the accelerator and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding.
—
Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Joe Hinrichs’ abrupt ouster from CSX followed informal outreach earlier this year from his counterpart at Union Pacific about potentially merging the two railroads, outreach that Hinrichs failed to pursue, the people said.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2025
But the 20-year-old’s standout season has come to an abrupt end.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Brandy said in a statement that dehydration was to blame for the singer’s abrupt and early exit from her Saturday night concert with Monica in Chicago.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abrupt
Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Joe Hinrichs’ abrupt ouster from CSX followed informal outreach earlier this year from his counterpart at Union Pacific about potentially merging the two railroads, outreach that Hinrichs failed to pursue, the people said.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2025
But the 20-year-old’s standout season has come to an abrupt end.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Brandy said in a statement that dehydration was to blame for the singer’s abrupt and early exit from her Saturday night concert with Monica in Chicago.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abrupt
Adjective
-
On one occasion, a blunt-nosed viper misjudged the distance to its prey.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Boyle also sported blonde, shoulder length hair that was styled straight with blunt bangs.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Dragged down by steep declines at its star brand Gucci and a bulging debt load, Kering has also been closing stores, selling real estate and reducing headcount after a dismal start to the year that saw group net profit plummet 46 percent in the first half.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Black Diamond Pursuit Carbon Z Trekking Poles Over rocks and steep gravel and through the edelweiss, these trekking poles were there for me.—
Anna Fiorentino,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Most aneurysms are symptom-free, but sudden severe headaches or vision changes can signal a life-threatening rupture.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Health,
25 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.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Her nails were short and polished black, and her makeup was also done with smoky black eyeliner.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Whether the on-site power is a short or long-term solution for hyperscalers, Liberty has an answer.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Their shoes’ aesthetic blends modern minimalism with classic styles that are designed to be subtle enough for everyday wear but with a twist thanks to the footwear’s unexpected details.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
23 Oct. 2025
-
But on the walk over, the night took an unexpected turn when one of the girls in his group, Holly, broke a heel.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But encounters with the island’s residents, including with his gruff but warm-hearted landlady (played by German screen legend Hanna Schygulla), gradually alter his outlook.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Oct. 2025
-
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
-
Less than a day later, a curt follow-up email landed in many of their inboxes informing them that they weren’t being let go after all.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Asked to assess his own performance afterward, Howard was curt.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Cumdumpster, by contrast, was brusque, peremptory, and stingy with his scores, as if I’d been put on earth to curate pornography for him.—
Daniel Kolitz,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
-
As her symptoms rapidly worsened, a rather brusque doctor was called to our house.—
Patti Newton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abrupt. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share