as in hastily
with excessive or careless speed
the sight of swimmers exiting the water precipitously when some joker shouted "Shark!"
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Recent Examples of precipitously
Public health and addiction experts continue to study why overdoses are falling so precipitously.
—
Brian Mann, NPR, 30 Aug. 2025
Suddenly, around 32 miles southwest of Marfa, the pavement ends, the ground drops away precipitously, and the gentle plains give way to craggy rocks and steep, dramatic mountains.
—Eva Frederick, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2025
Tax-rates had been cut big time, and the world of real investments was so great the value of businesses went way up while gold sunk precipitously and stayed low.
—Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
In fact, it's been coming down precipitously in Washington and in cities all across the country.
—NBC news, 17 Aug. 2025
The results suggest that rainfall could decline precipitously again.
—Pedro Dinezio, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2025
Brian Mann, NPR, 30 Aug. 2025
Suddenly, around 32 miles southwest of Marfa, the pavement ends, the ground drops away precipitously, and the gentle plains give way to craggy rocks and steep, dramatic mountains.
—Eva Frederick, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2025
Tax-rates had been cut big time, and the world of real investments was so great the value of businesses went way up while gold sunk precipitously and stayed low.
—Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
In fact, it's been coming down precipitously in Washington and in cities all across the country.
—NBC news, 17 Aug. 2025
The results suggest that rainfall could decline precipitously again.
—Pedro Dinezio, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precipitously
Adverb
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Instead of being judged for the killing of an Arab man, Meursault is ultimately blamed for showing little emotion at the recent funerals for his late mother and hastily starting a relationship with Marie Cardona (Rebecca Marder).—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
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Johnson appointed 11 of the 21 board members — including a member hastily named to fill a vacancy seemingly just for this vote — yet three of his appointees voted in opposition to his wishes.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Lowell jumped on the bandwagon and hurriedly so, bankrolling and putting himself in charge of an expedition to Arizona territory to set up a telescope ahead of Mars nearing the Earth in 1894.—
Maren Longbella,
Boston Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
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Another photo shows Brown looking back while hurriedly carrying two bags through airport security.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
1 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Panicked over his wife, Penny, nearing death, John acted impulsively to try and protect the truth about his wife’s murder from getting out.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
28 Aug. 2025
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These two strains cross paths when Prodigy founder Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin) impulsively sends his hybrids to investigate the Maginot wreck and recover its cargo.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Precipitously.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precipitously. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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