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.
Two days later, Trump abruptly ended negotiations with Canada, to protest a digital-services tax that the country wanted to apply to several U.S. tech companies. Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 July 2025 These dunes, which rise abruptly from the shadow of Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains, are formed by the interplay of winds funneling through mountain passes and the ongoing recycling of sand via wind. Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2025 Communications between the undercover agent and Eriksen abruptly stopped in December 2023. Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2025 Under President Donald Trump, the agency now plans to abruptly end all of them, regardless of prior findings of wrongdoing. Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 18 July 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 29 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on abruptly

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