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Synonyms

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.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"All of a sudden, 3.3 percent looks like very good growth. What happened? We used to say that growth is not enough," she told the forum.

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

All of a sudden, the most lopsided market in American sports went through a great re-pricing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

"All of a sudden it was like Poseidon is having a temper tantrum here with these waves just crashing huge," she added.

From BBC • Dec. 26, 2025

All of a sudden, it is beginning to feel very real.

From BBC • Oct. 18, 2025

All of a sudden, a loud bell started ringing.

From Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.