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

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Recent Examples of suddenly Supporters flocked there, the club went on to sign Shearer for a world-record fee and, suddenly, potential was irrelevant. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 21 July 2026 Businesses that had never flooded before were suddenly underwater. — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 20 July 2026 At some point in the mid-1850s, the river Padma suddenly carved a new path through the village of his ancestors in modern-day Bangladesh, flooding their homes and scattering them across the Indian subcontinent. — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026 My problem is the kart path along the road has 3 or so feet of grass between it and the road, then suddenly the grass narrows and is eventually gone before going over the bridge and everything is squeezed together. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026 As the hockey romance series became a global hit, the band’s three-year-old song suddenly was everywhere, resulting in more than 5 million monthly listeners on Spotify for the group. — Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 20 July 2026 My boss holds the pamphlet far away from the rest of her body—her index finger and thumb suddenly forming a sharp pincer. — Literary Hub, 20 July 2026 Brown water suddenly spewed from the equipment, shooting into her mouth and eyes. — Lauren Oyler, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 In How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins argues that great companies rarely collapse suddenly. — Clifford Hudson, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for suddenly

Adverb

Back in January, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong abruptly torpedoed a bipartisan agreement and vote of the Senate Banking Committee Clarity bill.

— Cleve Mesidor, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
In Texas in 2023, Lilly Livingston, who has Down syndrome and is now 22, was abruptly cut off from Medicaid benefits, according to Livingston's mother, Marie.

— Rachana Pradhan, NPR, 20 July 2026

Definition of abruptly

Adverb

Heather Leo’s future also arrived unexpectedly during the final days of the Games.

— Andrea Clement, AJC.com, 17 July 2026
Under his watch almost three years ago, FIFA unexpectedly announced a compressed bidding timeline for the 2034 World Cup, giving countries less than a month to submit expressions of interest.

— Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 July 2026