SUDDENLY Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

suddenly

adverb

Definition of suddenly

as in abruptly

with great suddenness the bus stopped suddenly, and somebody's lunch landed in the aisle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in unexpectedly

without warning suddenly, something fell out of the sky and landed in the field a few feet away

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 suddenly The Cyclops, Polyphemus, renders the strength of Odysseus’ crew insufficient, much as expertise that took a company decades to develop can suddenly be commoditized. — Jeff Degraff, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026 And with Large opening this October, there is suddenly a very good reason to ride line 9 all the way to the end. — Alessia Armenise, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026 When a supermarket chain experiences a cybersecurity incident, those conveniences can suddenly disappear. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Dentures that suddenly don’t fit comfortably Your dentures fit fine last month. — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 Detroit was dominated at Buffalo, hung on to beat the New York Jets, played poorly in a loss at Carolina and bounced back with a blowout against the Cardinals with a defense that suddenly didn't look like the NFL's worst. — CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 But analysts who spoke with CNBC said Apple's bet is not that foldables suddenly become a mass-market product. — Mackenzie Sigalos,kif Leswing, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 With only two minutes for the family to talk, Seyfried suddenly seems mortified to be intruding. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Kaleka, who co-wrote a book with a former white supremacist about his own journey of forgiveness after the Sikh temple shooting, said the young men who perpetrate these attacks don’t pop up suddenly. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for suddenly

Adverb

This week Ukraine also reported Elon Musk’s crucial Starlink internet system had been abruptly restricted on its drones, disrupting its military’s operations, with concerns in Kyiv the move was intended to further pressure it.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
An international flight scheduled to travel from Italy to Australia was abruptly canceled last week when a bedbug infestation was discovered in the cabin during an earlier flight, and the airline issued an apology for the incident.

— Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of abruptly

Adverb

The latest incidents, which follow a slew of reports of agents unexpectedly breaking out of sandboxes, showcased how even the safeguards built to corral AI systems are vulnerable to the technology.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Corlette said to make sure any arrangement is formally agreed upon in advance so the account isn't unexpectedly turned over to collections.

— Stephanie O'Neill, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026