1
as in dazes
to make senseless or dizzy by a blow
a powerful uppercut to the jaw stunned the boxer and sent him crashing to the canvas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in amazes
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
the news of their boss's termination stunned the staff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stuns
This trail stuns in either direction, but beginning at Clark Forks cuts elevation gain by nearly 2,000 feet.
—
Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
Hyundai stuns with Atlas Hyundai showcased Atlas at CES in Las Vegas last month.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 2 Mar. 2026
Jimenez created this look using two coats of a bronzy pearl polish accented with subtle green glitter, resulting in a finish that stuns with its simplicity.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
Executive producer and star of the film, Danielle Brooks, stuns with her performance as a mother trying to juggle it all and offers an honest portrayal of what happens when extenuating circumstances prevent closeness and warmth within a household.
—Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Nicole Kidman stuns in an orange ensemble while in Paris, as Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus have a rare date night at the Armani Privé show during Paris Fashion Week.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Trump's attack stuns the world.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 7 Jan. 2026
RuPaul's Drag Race winner Bob the Drag Queen stuns in a first look at his Broadway debut.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Dec. 2025
And then there’s Emerald Greene (Nash-Betts), who stuns in bold jewel tones and beautiful hats.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 12 Nov. 2025
Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
Hyundai stuns with Atlas Hyundai showcased Atlas at CES in Las Vegas last month.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 2 Mar. 2026
Jimenez created this look using two coats of a bronzy pearl polish accented with subtle green glitter, resulting in a finish that stuns with its simplicity.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
Executive producer and star of the film, Danielle Brooks, stuns with her performance as a mother trying to juggle it all and offers an honest portrayal of what happens when extenuating circumstances prevent closeness and warmth within a household.
—Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Nicole Kidman stuns in an orange ensemble while in Paris, as Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus have a rare date night at the Armani Privé show during Paris Fashion Week.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Trump's attack stuns the world.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 7 Jan. 2026
RuPaul's Drag Race winner Bob the Drag Queen stuns in a first look at his Broadway debut.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Dec. 2025
And then there’s Emerald Greene (Nash-Betts), who stuns in bold jewel tones and beautiful hats.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 12 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stuns
Verb
-
The second thing that strikes me more and actually amazes me is the fact that this is a story, a trope, that is repeated in most of the presentation of Agnes Pockels.—
Mariel Carr,
Scientific American,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Eva’s romance with her husband, Franklin Plaskett, delights and amazes her.—
Adelle Waldman,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Project supervisor Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) also rocks a lot of knitted sweaters, visually positioning her away from the Ice Queen/Girlboss cliches the film wants to avoid.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Exclusively for Idaho Statesman readers, Gilbert has highlighted 35 acts to see at the annual event, which rocks multiple venues Wednesday through Sunday.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nolan’s loss to an unknown rookie shocks everyone.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Stabbing shocks Olathe community Officers responded around noon March 19 to the 1000 block of North Ridgeview Road after reports of an armed disurbance.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Monster blizzard paralyzes Northeast with extreme snow, soaring power outages.—
,
FOXNews.com,
23 Feb. 2026
-
For example, the curare plant poisons used by South and Central American hunters paralyzes the respiratory system.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
If hypotheticals about what could have been are a good dream for New York Knicks fans, then Mikal Bridges is the alarm clock that startles them awake.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The project, which Steinberger has rebranded multiple times—evolving from Clawdbot to Moltbot and finally to OpenClaw—largely owing to politics—has expanded at a pace that startles even seasoned AI experts.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This one surprises most people.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The grandeur that surprises many first-time observers is the result of an extraordinarily long and complex geological history.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
More than 42,000 of those pieces were found over just the past eight years of excavation, a pace that astonishes even the researchers leading the work.—
Ryan Brennan
April 1,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
-
His work astonishes and moves people far beyond the fashion bubble to this day.—
WWD Staff,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stuns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stuns. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
