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.
In January, the U.S. abruptly halted 90 percent of its humanitarian and development assistance to Ukraine. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025 Last week, the president threatened to impose massive tariffs on numerous countries—including a cumulative 145% tariff on Chinese imports—before abruptly dialing back his approach and issuing exemptions on electronics and PC parts. Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025 As the board attempted to steer the station through turbulent financial times, the stations’ employees abruptly saw health care coverage briefly canceled. Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 14 Apr. 2025 Now, with McPherson abruptly un-disappeared, an even larger group of people—the relieved, the vengeful, the doubtful, and the desperate-for-a-byline—set about trying to vet her story. Casey Cep, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 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 23 Apr. 2025.

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