as in stunned
affected with sudden and great wonder or surprise
the teen was thunderstruck when his parents told him he had been adopted
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in surprised
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
everyone was thunderstruck when she quit her job without warning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thunderstruck
Marin Independent Journal, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
The baseball-loving family members were thunderstruck at spotting the T206 Honus Wagner in the frame.
—Marin Independent Journal, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thunderstruck
Adjective
-
Gianluigi Donnarumma looked stunned.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Playing 40 minutes of perhaps unfamiliar material before getting to the hits sounds challenging and, to be sure, some of the more lubricated audience members sat in stunned silence.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Martin highlighted the findings, which mostly conformed to his expectations but still surprised him in the magnitude of the angst over the work situationship.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind, which operates Gemini, said in a recent interview that he was surprised by OpenAI’s decision to monetize the chatbot through ads this early.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Instead, Bad Bunny — aka Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — focused on how is amazed by his good fortune.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
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And amazed at what transpired in his comeback game.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Continue reading … POLITICS 'CIVICS LESSON’ — Republican shocked after anti-ICE sheriff stumped by basic government question.—
,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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Many would be shocked to realize that the NFL’s decision to feature Bad Bunny was very unlikely motivated by politics.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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One that draws more approving thumbs-ups, creates more astonished grins, or pulls more phones from pockets for impromptu photographs and video—especially in stunning Verde Ermes metallic paint.—
Michael Harley,
Forbes.com,
19 Jan. 2026
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Live, the 11-year-old actor shared his astonished reaction to getting the note.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Twyla Tharp’s ballet Push Comes to Shove, which premiered in 1976, startled and delighted audiences with its coy, self-referential humor, and its flirtation with popular dance styles such as jazz and tango.—
Sara Krolewski,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
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After several chest compressions, Briana startled awake and cried.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And she is just completely dumbstruck by that.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
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The parents at this kind of show, of course, are less dumbstruck than the kids: The card is not floating but instead swinging on some string.—
Joseph Vukov,
Chicago Tribune,
29 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Thunderstruck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thunderstruck. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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