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. RutherfordExamples of abruptly in a Sentence
the car in front stopped abruptly, and we almost hit it
Recent Examples on the Web
Rather than trying to defuse a tense situation, officers abruptly used physical or chemical force.
—Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Kyrie Irving has yet to play this season while recovering from ACL surgery and Dereck Lively II was limited to just seven games before his third season was abruptly ended because of right foot surgery.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 14 Feb. 2026
In a sign of how bitter relations have sunk, in January star Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman had his Indian Premier League contract abruptly canceled, prompting Dhaka to ban broadcasts of the league in retaliation.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
The tingling in these extremities can happen abruptly but usually only last for a few minutes.
—Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Flow Space, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abruptly
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Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Kyrie Irving has yet to play this season while recovering from ACL surgery and Dereck Lively II was limited to just seven games before his third season was abruptly ended because of right foot surgery.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 14 Feb. 2026
In a sign of how bitter relations have sunk, in January star Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman had his Indian Premier League contract abruptly canceled, prompting Dhaka to ban broadcasts of the league in retaliation.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
The tingling in these extremities can happen abruptly but usually only last for a few minutes.
—Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Flow Space, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abruptly
Cite this Entry
“Abruptly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abruptly. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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