abruptly
without warning; suddenly or unexpectedly: Not noticing that the car in front of him had stopped abruptly, he rear-ended it.
in few words and without using any polite formulas; brusquely: My 14-year-old son was calling; as soon as I picked up, he asked abruptly, “How long till you get home?”
steeply; sharply: At one end, the meadow flowed into a large valley; at the other, it dropped off abruptly in a cliff.
Origin of abruptly
1Other words from abruptly
- un·ab·rupt·ly, adverb
Words Nearby abruptly
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use abruptly in a sentence
The revelation immediately revived the show’s fandom, as many previous fans of the show who’d stopped paying attention in recent years abruptly tuned in again to see how their beloved ship was doing.
Supernatural’s bonkers series finale marked the end of an era of fandom | Aja Romano | November 20, 2020 | VoxIn Arizona on Saturday, the plaintiffs in a lawsuit about alleged ballot issues stemming from the use of Sharpie markers abruptly moved to dismiss their suit without prejudice.
Pa. attorney general says there’s no need for additional intervention by Supreme Court with mail ballots | Reis Thebault, Robert Barnes, Hannah Knowles | November 8, 2020 | Washington PostAnt, whose IPO was poised to be the new record-setter until regulators abruptly halted it on Tuesday, would have seen its shares open at a price 31-times the company’s net profit forecast for 2021, as Reuters observed.
It’s mothers who are bearing the brunt of abruptly losing child care and school.
Winds abruptly shift to out of the north in the evening and are gusty through the night.
Updated forecast: Zeta’s rain rapidly exiting D.C. area after one to three inches, but more showers overnight. | David Streit, Jason Samenow | October 29, 2020 | Washington Post
NBC News boss Deborah Turness abruptly ousted the ‘Meet the Press’ host four months ago.
David Gregory's 'Meet the Press' Eviction Exposed in Washingtonian Takedown | Lloyd Grove | December 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBecause this food source could abruptly disappear at any time, cutworm moths cannot be counted on to replace pine nuts.
But then the president abruptly reversed himself—without consulting his national security Cabinet members.
Obama’s Ex-CIA Chief Slams White House for ‘Hesitation and Half Steps’ | Josh Rogin | October 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe then abruptly departed for reasons that the school declines to clarify.
Alleged U.Va. Abductor Accused of Rape at Christian College | Michael Daly | September 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAttending a Mile High event is akin to being abruptly thrown into an ongoing play and having to adjust your behavior accordingly.
The noise of his slumbers culminated in a sudden, choking grunt, and abruptly ceased.
St. Martin's Summer | Rafael SabatiniWithout preface, he abruptly asked, what had been told him of the Duke of Wharton's behaviour the preceding night.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane PorterThere is an odd triangular-shaped hill that rises on one side very boldly and abruptly, called the Fox's Head.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy FayThe song stopped abruptly, the music died away, there was an interval of silence no one broke.
The Wave | Algernon BlackwoodShe had been silent while he was so deeply engrossed in thought, and upon hearing her voice he started abruptly.
The Homesteader | Oscar Micheaux
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