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
And the global population of whales declined precipitously to the point of near extinction.
—
Justin Worland, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Over the past 15 years, face-to-face socialization has declined precipitously.
—Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2025
Murphy’s being booted from Back in Town comes shortly after the disco singer shared a graph on social media which purported to show that the percentage of 18-to-22-year-olds identifying as trans or nonbinary fell precipitously between 2021 and 2024.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 27 Oct. 2025
Recent studies show Arizona's Christian population has dropped precipitously from 71% in 2007 to 58% in 2024.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Absent congressional action, their premiums are set to increase precipitously.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 18 Oct. 2025
The Palestinian issue was falling precipitously in the global order of priorities for many years prior to October 7th.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2025
This year, though, that number dropped precipitously, amounting to just 218 million bushels during the first eight months of 2025.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 15 Oct. 2025
Even when the Malaise Era hit in the 1970s and a combination of an oil crisis and pollution-fighting policies saw horsepower drop precipitously, the luxury coupe couldn’t be stopped.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2025
Justin Worland, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Over the past 15 years, face-to-face socialization has declined precipitously.
—Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2025
Murphy’s being booted from Back in Town comes shortly after the disco singer shared a graph on social media which purported to show that the percentage of 18-to-22-year-olds identifying as trans or nonbinary fell precipitously between 2021 and 2024.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 27 Oct. 2025
Recent studies show Arizona's Christian population has dropped precipitously from 71% in 2007 to 58% in 2024.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Absent congressional action, their premiums are set to increase precipitously.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 18 Oct. 2025
The Palestinian issue was falling precipitously in the global order of priorities for many years prior to October 7th.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2025
This year, though, that number dropped precipitously, amounting to just 218 million bushels during the first eight months of 2025.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 15 Oct. 2025
Even when the Malaise Era hit in the 1970s and a combination of an oil crisis and pollution-fighting policies saw horsepower drop precipitously, the luxury coupe couldn’t be stopped.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precipitously
Adverb
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They were each hastily sentenced in Venezuela to 20 years in prison in August under questionable due process.—
Kevin G. Hall,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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Though hastily assembled, Soddy’s unheralded return engagement achieved a freshness, atmosphere, flow, and moment-to-moment imaginative acuity that proved transformative.—
Matthew Gurewitsch,
Air Mail,
1 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Once doctors hurriedly removed the dangerous tumor growing on his brain, a weeklong hospital stay, months of therapy, and nearly $250,000 worth of medical expenses followed.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
But as rumors swirled that the gang was on its way to launch another assault, merchants in the market could be seen hurriedly packing their goods.—
Ychmuth Corneille,
Miami Herald,
21 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
For obvious reasons that nevertheless require far more setup and nuance than Wright affords them here, Ben impulsively auditions for the show.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
11 Nov. 2025
-
This is important, since most people who try to kill themselves do so impulsively.—
Dr. Theresa T. Nguyen,
Boston Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Precipitously.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precipitously. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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