1
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
2
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 Phillies could be interested in adding some more depth and Hampson is suddenly an option after the Cardinals designated him for assignment on Sunday.
—
Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Then the Jacksonville, Florida, resident suddenly collapsed in her bedroom while getting ready for work.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
But despite a certain staginess, and a tendency for the plot to suddenly stop to make way for the acting, Hedda is actually a genuine attempt to mine something new from the old text, a compelling fusion of Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn and Stephen Fry’s Bright Young Things.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
Through the first-person narration of his protagonist, Nicholas, a teenager suddenly besieged by anxiety, Clune conveys with uncanny vividness what a panic attack feels like.
—Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
Companies that proactively share their quality metrics can differentiate themselves in a market where trust has suddenly become a competitive advantage.
—Matt Lowe, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
The seat belt sign was off on July 30 when service carts, flight attendants, and unbelted passengers were suddenly thrown toward the plane’s ceiling.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Guy can’t take a few days for some R&R and a non-surgical breast reduction without everybody suddenly pulling out the toe tags?
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Gravity was suddenly placing a boundary on knowledge.
—Big Think, 9 Sep. 2025
Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Then the Jacksonville, Florida, resident suddenly collapsed in her bedroom while getting ready for work.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
But despite a certain staginess, and a tendency for the plot to suddenly stop to make way for the acting, Hedda is actually a genuine attempt to mine something new from the old text, a compelling fusion of Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn and Stephen Fry’s Bright Young Things.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
Through the first-person narration of his protagonist, Nicholas, a teenager suddenly besieged by anxiety, Clune conveys with uncanny vividness what a panic attack feels like.
—Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
Companies that proactively share their quality metrics can differentiate themselves in a market where trust has suddenly become a competitive advantage.
—Matt Lowe, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
The seat belt sign was off on July 30 when service carts, flight attendants, and unbelted passengers were suddenly thrown toward the plane’s ceiling.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Guy can’t take a few days for some R&R and a non-surgical breast reduction without everybody suddenly pulling out the toe tags?
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Gravity was suddenly placing a boundary on knowledge.
—Big Think, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suddenly
Adverb
-
Barry Lian, a 24-year-old master’s degree graduate from southeastern China who spent three years studying in the US, had dreams of working on Wall Street – until his student visa was abruptly revoked last July.—
Joyce Jiang,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The shocking assassination of the Turning Point USA co-founder abruptly ended the event as thousands ran in panic and left the nation reeling.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Upwards of ten thousand fans made the trip each year, but despite the match-up’s popularity and history, the Georgia Tech administration unexpectedly announced its intention to end the series when the contract ran out in the late 1970s.—
Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Wholesale inflation prices also fell unexpectedly last month.—
Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suddenly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suddenly. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share