1
as in abruptly
with great suddenness
the bus stopped suddenly, and somebody's lunch landed in the aisle
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of suddenly
Uranus in your 11th House of Friends can suddenly change group plans or expectations without much notice.
—
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
And what once looked like a breakthrough moment for this franchise is suddenly hanging in the balance – not gone, but quickly evaporating.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
After sitting for a few minutes on the front steps of the building, Lopez suddenly jumped to his feet and took four steps in the direction of officers.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
The 27-year-old Englishman suddenly looks like more than a feel-good carryover story.
—Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
So shareholders shouldn’t expect Berkshire to start paying a dividend or that Abel will suddenly split the company up.
—ABC News, 2 May 2026
When the timing slips, the whole thing can suddenly feel exposed.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026
Then suddenly, everything ramps up in speed!
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Consumers turned to In Your Corner after Rocco's at the Brick in Newtown suddenly closed, leaving many people with unused gift cards worth hundreds of dollars.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
And what once looked like a breakthrough moment for this franchise is suddenly hanging in the balance – not gone, but quickly evaporating.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
After sitting for a few minutes on the front steps of the building, Lopez suddenly jumped to his feet and took four steps in the direction of officers.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
The 27-year-old Englishman suddenly looks like more than a feel-good carryover story.
—Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
So shareholders shouldn’t expect Berkshire to start paying a dividend or that Abel will suddenly split the company up.
—ABC News, 2 May 2026
When the timing slips, the whole thing can suddenly feel exposed.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026
Then suddenly, everything ramps up in speed!
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Consumers turned to In Your Corner after Rocco's at the Brick in Newtown suddenly closed, leaving many people with unused gift cards worth hundreds of dollars.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suddenly
Adverb
-
The company abruptly shut down on Saturday after talks for a government bailout fell apart, stranding passengers and leaving 17,000 people out of jobs.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
3 May 2026
-
Unfortunately, Cubs fans are waking up to the reality that watching those games for free, which generations of Americans did, has abruptly come to an end.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Adverb
-
There are mud pools from Yellowstone National Park that have a squeamish gurgle, and hearing them amid a crackling bonfire feels unexpectedly harmonious, even plausible.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The film follows two former lovers (Melchior and Mylchreest) who unexpectedly reunite on a Christmas night in Porto.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suddenly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suddenly. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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