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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 there was this electricity at the table.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2026

"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 he bent down and picked something up - and it was a coin," recalls Mr Derby.

From BBC • Dec. 27, 2025

All of a sudden, there was Jeb running along the side of the truck.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

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.