abruptly

adverb

abrupt·​ly ə-ˈbrəp(t)-lē How to pronounce abruptly (audio)
: in an abrupt manner : in a sudden and unexpected way
He left abruptly.
The car swerved abruptly onto the exit ramp.
Her career as a psychologist ended abruptly several years ago when a hacker broke into some of her private client files and made them public …Michael Logan
The small, rocky Anacapa Island [California] has steep cliffs which rise abruptly from the ocean on almost every side …David J. Rutherford

Examples of abruptly in a Sentence

the car in front stopped abruptly, and we almost hit it
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Last week, Trump abruptly fired several high-ranking Pentagon officials, including Air Force General Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025 Trump has abruptly ditched some previous Washington policies. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 27 Feb. 2025 The administration also abruptly terminated a marketing campaign about flu vaccines, writes Forbes senior contributor Omer Awan. Megan Poinski, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025 After nearly two hours on the House floor whipping votes, Johnson appeared to have failed and canceled the vote before abruptly calling members back to the chamber. Riley Beggin, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abruptly

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of abruptly was in 1565

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abruptly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abruptly. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

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