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
One’s impression is suddenly modified by the casual strength his handshake conveys, and rightly so, for beneath the elegant lines of his suit are hidden a hard body and the stamina of 10 battalions.
—
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
But there’s a dark side to this turn against the suddenly middle-aged, passé millennial generation.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
In the early hours of Monday morning, a large part of the internet suddenly stopped working.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
No question, there was a great deal to unpack after their 38-24 loss Sunday to the Indianapolis Colts at SoFi Stadium, starting with a defense that gave up far too many big plays on the ground and through the air to satisfy anyone in a unit that’s suddenly under siege.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025
Rasoulof doubles down on the genre elements when Iman’s address is leaked online by protestors, forcing him to suddenly flee the city along with his wife and daughters.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2025
That feeling of suddenly being connected across the miles was as buzz-inducing as the beer.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Tyramine can suddenly raise blood pressure when combined with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), a type of antidepressant.
—Merve Ceylan, Health, 20 Oct. 2025
As Helen plots revenge and Madeline clings to her rapidly fading star, their world is suddenly turned upside down by Viola Van Horn, a mysterious woman with a secret that’s to die for.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
But there’s a dark side to this turn against the suddenly middle-aged, passé millennial generation.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
In the early hours of Monday morning, a large part of the internet suddenly stopped working.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
No question, there was a great deal to unpack after their 38-24 loss Sunday to the Indianapolis Colts at SoFi Stadium, starting with a defense that gave up far too many big plays on the ground and through the air to satisfy anyone in a unit that’s suddenly under siege.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025
Rasoulof doubles down on the genre elements when Iman’s address is leaked online by protestors, forcing him to suddenly flee the city along with his wife and daughters.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2025
That feeling of suddenly being connected across the miles was as buzz-inducing as the beer.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Tyramine can suddenly raise blood pressure when combined with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), a type of antidepressant.
—Merve Ceylan, Health, 20 Oct. 2025
As Helen plots revenge and Madeline clings to her rapidly fading star, their world is suddenly turned upside down by Viola Van Horn, a mysterious woman with a secret that’s to die for.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suddenly
Adverb
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Last week Halligan abruptly fired the author of the memo, career prosecutor Elizabeth Yusi, in part due to her resistance to bringing the case against James, sources said.—
Katherine Faulders,
ABC News,
23 Oct. 2025
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Then, the activity abruptly stopped.—
Jim Beaugez,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Typically, Angels work alone, but when the Christmas Connection Department faces the threat of downsizing, Monica and Michael are unexpectedly paired to ensure Daisy and Patrick fall in love before Christmas.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
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Things might be different now, as MFE this week unexpectedly cleared out the ProSieben C-suite and replacing respected ProSieben CEO Bert Habets with its own CFO, Marco Giordani.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suddenly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suddenly. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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