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

And then all of a sudden I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, I need to perform the song.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

"It's a funny thing to see someone that you have watched their serve on TV for so many years, and then all of a sudden that serve is coming at you," he explained.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 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

I hate that she sounds so afraid all of a sudden.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

Related Words

• precipitously
• suddenly
• unexpectedly