all of a sudden

Idioms  

1. Entirely without warning, abruptly, as in All of a sudden the lights went out. In Shakespeare's day the common phrase was of a sudden, the word all being added in the late 1600s. Also see all at once, def. 2.

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Example Sentences

“We’ve been having this conversation for 50 years. Why is it all of a sudden a problem now?”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

And he dies suddenly, tragically, and ... all of a sudden the rug is really just emotionally and psychologically pulled out from underneath them.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

“Our companies have pricing power but have never used it because it was seen as un-Japanese to raise prices. Now, all of a sudden, it is acceptable,” says Heck.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

"I don't need this virtue signal era to all of a sudden erase an entire life I've led."

From BBC • May 5, 2026

I couldn’t hear any words, just angry talking, but then all of a sudden, I did hear some words.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

Related Words

• precipitously
• suddenly
• unexpectedly