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
After excelling with point-guard skills in a center’s body, Wembanyama’s range suddenly disappeared.
—
Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Shipowners recently told Bloomberg that Iranian fast boats approached a group of vessels transiting through the strait, but turned away after helicopters suddenly appeared.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 June 2026
What had once been just another stretch of French coast had suddenly become a vast harbor filled with hundreds of ships and thousands of men.
—Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026
Lopez plays Jackie Cruz, the CEO of her family's airline, while Goldstein plays attorney Daniel Blanchflower, who suddenly gets promoted as the company's in-house lawyer.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 5 June 2026
And that is where the SEC and Big Ten suddenly discovered their opposition.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 June 2026
In January 1857, Brooks died suddenly of croup.
—Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026
Mercury in Cancer can explain why words of affirmation are suddenly your primary love language — texts, voice notes, apologies and pillow talk matter more than usual.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
His death comes just months after his longtime partner, Sarah Fisher, died suddenly in December.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 5 June 2026
Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Shipowners recently told Bloomberg that Iranian fast boats approached a group of vessels transiting through the strait, but turned away after helicopters suddenly appeared.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 June 2026
What had once been just another stretch of French coast had suddenly become a vast harbor filled with hundreds of ships and thousands of men.
—Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026
Lopez plays Jackie Cruz, the CEO of her family's airline, while Goldstein plays attorney Daniel Blanchflower, who suddenly gets promoted as the company's in-house lawyer.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 5 June 2026
And that is where the SEC and Big Ten suddenly discovered their opposition.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 June 2026
In January 1857, Brooks died suddenly of croup.
—Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026
Mercury in Cancer can explain why words of affirmation are suddenly your primary love language — texts, voice notes, apologies and pillow talk matter more than usual.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
His death comes just months after his longtime partner, Sarah Fisher, died suddenly in December.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 5 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suddenly
Adverb
-
Sturgeon led the Scottish government for almost a decade but abruptly resigned as first minister in February 2023.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
-
Nonetheless, a strong breeze threatens that window to shut abruptly.—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Adverb
-
Greige Often considered beige's cooler-toned cousin, gray-beige (also known as greige) can be an unexpectedly effective color to brighten rooms with—especially when using lighter shades and in south-facing rooms that receive plenty of natural light.—
Nishaa Sharma,
The Spruce,
2 June 2026
-
That hasn’t happened, in part because of the unexpectedly high support companies typically receive, according to Stanford University research.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suddenly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suddenly. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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