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

See Examples For:

all of a sudden

It is odd that, all of a sudden, they’re worried about decorum.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

People start making decisions in their late 20s, all of a sudden everyone’s off on different paths.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

She explained: "It is the time when families see the increase in cost because all of a sudden their son's had a growth spurt or their daughter's had a growth spurt."

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

"We were recording in an office and all of a sudden the table moved and we all looked at each other," Ruiz told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026

Jack shuddered, the room feeling colder all of a sudden.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Related Words

• precipitously
• suddenly
• unexpectedly