abruptly
adverb
abrupt·ly
ə-ˈbrəp(t)-lē 
: 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
Michael LoganThe small, rocky Anacapa Island [California] has steep cliffs which rise abruptly from the ocean on almost every side …—David J. Rutherford
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
The Last Showgirl follows Anderson as Shelly, a veteran Las Vegas showgirl whose future grows uncertain when her show abruptly closes after 30 years.
—Tommy McArdle, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
And then leaving town abruptly and never looking back.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 4 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, former Virginia coach Tony Bennett, who abruptly resigned two-and-a-half weeks before the start of this current college basketball season, squarely put the onus on himself.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Jan. 2025
Jim Larrañaga’s surprise retirement, and the ACC’s ongoing decline
The fact Miami coach Jim Larrañaga, who made the Elite Eight in 2022 and Final Four in 2023, abruptly retired last week was not a tremendous surprise.
—Brendan Marks, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for abruptly 
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.
Tommy McArdle, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
And then leaving town abruptly and never looking back.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 4 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, former Virginia coach Tony Bennett, who abruptly resigned two-and-a-half weeks before the start of this current college basketball season, squarely put the onus on himself.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Jan. 2025
Jim Larrañaga’s surprise retirement, and the ACC’s ongoing decline
The fact Miami coach Jim Larrañaga, who made the Elite Eight in 2022 and Final Four in 2023, abruptly retired last week was not a tremendous surprise.
—Brendan Marks, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for abruptly
Dictionary Entries Near abruptly
Cite this Entry
“Abruptly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abruptly. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share