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 After all of this, having Pluto suddenly stripped of planetary status must feel like a betrayal. — Mike Brown, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2026 And after earning just 12 points over its first 18 matches this season, Atlanta United has suddenly picked up nine points over the last nine days, thanks to wins over New York Red Bulls and Minnesota United FC. — Amna Subhan, AJC.com, 24 Aug. 2026 So why are billion-dollar chains suddenly so obsessed with fruit-forward drinks? — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 24 Aug. 2026 Shifts in the market — like Amazon and Google suddenly selling their own chips to others — have been unpredictable, though. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026 Andrijasevic compares it to coming home from a long trip and suddenly wanting to declutter the house and start working out. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 24 Aug. 2026 Tailgates blur into walkways, walkways funnel into gates, and suddenly, the open concourse reveals a stadium that feels impossibly full, colorful and loud. — Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 A couple's anniversary getaway took a wild turn when a bear strolled into a Gatlinburg tea shop and began rummaging through merchandise before suddenly jumping onto the counter in a startling encounter caught on video. — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026 Nuclear plants that once seemed destined for retirement have suddenly become attractive sources of around-the-clock power for technology companies looking for large blocks of reliable electricity. — Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for suddenly

Adverb

Luann patiently attempts to explain that the women don’t like being lectured to about their business affairs, only for Vicki to abruptly answer a phone call mid-conversation.

— Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
At a virtual town hall meeting, Navy families who abruptly evacuated from Bahrain six months ago had many questions.

— Steve Walsh, NPR, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of abruptly

Adverb

Before anyone could tap their heels on the floor and start the party, though, fire sprinklers went off unexpectedly in a nearby hotel room, forcing everyone to evacuate the building.

— DeAsia Paige, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
The spacecraft unexpectedly remained intact after splashdown in the Indian Ocean last month, prompting SpaceX officials to come up with an ad hoc plan to recover the vehicle.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026