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

Estrada's trial at the Senate gripped the nation and ended abruptly after his lawyers blocked evidence of his alleged secret bank accounts.

From BBC

U.S. equity futures were pointing toward another dismal open — and then things abruptly turned around.

From MarketWatch

U.S. equity futures were pointing toward another dismal open — and then things abruptly turned around.

From MarketWatch

But on Tuesday night, Africa’s ruling soccer authorities abruptly informed Senegal that it had been stripped of the title and handed the trophy to Morocco instead.

From The Wall Street Journal

Filming for Season 5 of “Mormon Wives,” which Paul executive produces, was also abruptly halted.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• all of a sudden
• precipitously
• suddenly
• unexpectedly