on a sudden

English

Prepositional phrase

on a sudden

  1. (obsolete) Synonym of all of a sudden or suddenly.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book CCXLVII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, line 900:
      How are thou loſt, how on a ſudden loſt,
    • 1831, [Benjamin Disraeli], chapter XI, in The Young Duke. […], volume II (book III), London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 144:
      On a sudden, it seemed that a thousand bugles broke the blue air, and they were summoned to a dejeuner in four crimson tents, worthy of Sardanapalus.
    • 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:
      On a sudden he was aware of a man linking along at his side. He cried a fine night, and the man replied.
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