as in to surprise
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
everyone was thunderstruck when she quit her job without warning
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thunderstrike
Verb
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McLaren Racing Formula One driver Oscar Piastri was surprised by the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying result after Ferrari's Charles Leclerc set a fastest time of 1:15.372, securing his first pole position of the season.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Aug. 2025 -
The campaign claims Bronin’s early haul is twice what Larson had in cash on hand at the end of Q2, though the congressman was surprised by the flurry of challenges to what until now has been his certain reelection.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Tetris pushes even supercomputers to their limits and amazes mathematicians See the world through the lens of science.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
28 July 2025
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Its steadfast dedication to its classic roots, combined with a fearless spirit of innovation, results in pieces that never fail to amaze.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
14 July 2025
Verb
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John Cena turning heel, meaning changing from a good to bad character, shocked the WWE Universe like nothing that had come before it and even reverberated throughout the sports and pop culture world at large.—
Skyler Trepel,
People.com,
30 July 2025
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News of his death shocked the music industry, who paid tribute through the day.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
30 July 2025
Verb
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While she was alarmed by shiny black leggings, slingback boots, and a jean jacket, I was equally stunned by her Pentecostal version of nurses’ scrubs; a powder blue, boxy dress with a matching jacket and headwrap.—
Essence,
Essence,
24 July 2025
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For their part, other village trustees seemed shocked and stunned by these accounts.—
Jerry Shnay,
Chicago Tribune,
22 July 2025
Verb
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He remains easily startled by loud noises, avoids direct eye contact, and is wary of new visitors.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 July 2025
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The formidable climb of YouTube in audience and influence has indeed startled the pop culture universe.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
17 July 2025
Verb
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Kenosha rocked by civil unrest The city of Kenosha was rocked by civil unrest in 2020 after a police officer shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, seven times.—
Jessie Opoien,
jsonline.com,
25 July 2025
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The credibility crisis that’s rocking the PR world The industry’s credibility concerns stem from growing advertiser demands for transparency and accountability.—
Ascend Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Morgan, who lives in Knoxville, Tenn., was astonished.—
Belinda Luscombe,
Time,
24 July 2025
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Volunteers were astonished by the language in some of the deeds.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
22 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Thunderstrike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thunderstrike. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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