abruptly

American  

[uh-bruhpt-lee] / əˈbrʌpt li /

adverb

1. without warning; suddenly or unexpectedly.

   Not noticing that the car in front of him had stopped abruptly, he rear-ended it.

2. in few words and without using any polite formulas; brusquely.

   My 14-year-old son was calling; as soon as I picked up, he asked abruptly, “How long till you get home?”

3. steeply; sharply.

   At one end, the meadow flowed into a large valley; at the other, it dropped off abruptly in a cliff.

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Other Word Forms

• unabruptly adverb

Etymology

Origin of abruptly

abrupt ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Vanke, which has about $170.43 billion in assets, is set to become the latest domino to fall after the Shenzhen government abruptly reversed its position on a partial bailout of the developer.

From The Wall Street Journal

Hundreds of Indian professionals who traveled home this month to renew their U.S. work visas have found themselves unexpectedly stranded, after U.S. consulates abruptly canceled and rescheduled H‑1B interview appointments amid expanded vetting procedures.

From Salon

A news conference that police in Providence, Rhode Island, had planned for Thursday afternoon was abruptly cancelled, but they said they expected to give an update later in the day.

From BBC

Bernard Looney resigned abruptly in 2023 over past relationships with colleagues.

From The Wall Street Journal

Dallas-based Tricolor Holdings filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in September, days after abruptly closing its 65 lots across six states.

From Barron's

Related Words

• all of a sudden
• precipitously
• suddenly
• unexpectedly