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
Why is the team suddenly playing stellar defense, after inconsistent performances all season?
—
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 10 May 2026
And when Jalen Brunson banked in a floater with just under four minutes left in the period — a sequence that sent Maxey into frustration and head coach Nick Nurse calling a timeout — the Knicks’ lead suddenly swelled to 12.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
January 20 – February 18 Something clicks today, and suddenly the future looks much brighter.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
The people who fought for this country, defended our freedoms, and sacrificed for our communities are being told there is suddenly not enough money for programs that support them.
—Anne Brensley, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026
In these incidents, people in vehicles suddenly take over an intersection and perform dangerous maneuvers, set off fireworks and create chaos.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
On Ramos’ single, Chapman suddenly slammed on the brakes when trying to go first to third.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 9 May 2026
The New York Knicks are suddenly rolling this postseason.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Not because your home team has suddenly become a plucky underdog, even if the Braves (26-13) have a better record.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 10 May 2026
And when Jalen Brunson banked in a floater with just under four minutes left in the period — a sequence that sent Maxey into frustration and head coach Nick Nurse calling a timeout — the Knicks’ lead suddenly swelled to 12.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
January 20 – February 18 Something clicks today, and suddenly the future looks much brighter.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
The people who fought for this country, defended our freedoms, and sacrificed for our communities are being told there is suddenly not enough money for programs that support them.
—Anne Brensley, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026
In these incidents, people in vehicles suddenly take over an intersection and perform dangerous maneuvers, set off fireworks and create chaos.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
On Ramos’ single, Chapman suddenly slammed on the brakes when trying to go first to third.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 9 May 2026
The New York Knicks are suddenly rolling this postseason.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Not because your home team has suddenly become a plucky underdog, even if the Braves (26-13) have a better record.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suddenly
Adverb
-
Someone must have forgotten to disconnect the screen after Spirit abruptly shut down on May 2nd, following the abandonment of a federal rescue effort.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
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The impact forced an immediate emergency response as the aircraft’s departure was abruptly disrupted.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
Adverb
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Lemming leans all the way into the chaos and brings us on an absurdly fun journey with unexpectedly sweet relationship work.—
Erin La Rosa,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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The process of examining financing options and budgeting applications enables users to control their immediate expenses, which arise from medical emergencies that occur unexpectedly.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suddenly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suddenly. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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