as in gem
a usually valuable stone cut and polished for ornament
a trophy wife with enough rocks to open her own jewelry store
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to sway
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions
the boat was rocking so much that several passengers felt seasick
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to shake
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side
the drunk rocked on his heels for a moment and then fell flat on his back
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to stun
to make senseless or dizzy by a blow
she rocked the mugger with a single punch and then ran
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to surprise
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
the news of the mayor's sudden death rocked the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in rocklike
Related Words
Dissimilar 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 rock
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2026
The rock band Goose was performing.
—Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026
Paul Ridden
june 22, New Atlas, 22 June 2026
In Alexis Robbins’ vision, her father’s drum parts on the album have been replaced by tap dancers who bang out the steady, rocking rhythms with their feet.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2026
Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
An old soul with with a huge, commanding voice, his catalog hovers between the orchestral swoon of pre-rock ballads, the pristine melodies of Anita Baker and the rangy, resilient yearning of his hometown’s soul tradition.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rock
Noun
Water that is cloudy or murky could easily hide debris, rocks or fast moving logs that could cause someone to trip or get stuck.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2026
The rock band Goose was performing.
—Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026
Verb
The soundtrack has to rock too.
—Paul Ridden
june 22, New Atlas, 22 June 2026
In Alexis Robbins’ vision, her father’s drum parts on the album have been replaced by tap dancers who bang out the steady, rocking rhythms with their feet.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2026
Adjective
As the quartet builds toward a post-rock crescendo and a wistful, snowcapped outro that’s lightly accompanied by the sound of children on a playground, Kinsella and his bandmates spin the narrative in a kaleidoscopic language all their own.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
An old soul with with a huge, commanding voice, his catalog hovers between the orchestral swoon of pre-rock ballads, the pristine melodies of Anita Baker and the rangy, resilient yearning of his hometown’s soul tradition.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rock
Noun
-
For a mid-day warm-up, itineraries highlight cozy neighborhood gems like Drekkamun—a new spot in Kollafjørður whose name translates directly from Faroese as ‘a cup of tea or coffee’—or the brand-new Café Otto, tucked away at the national art museum following a peaceful walk through a local park.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
-
Chisholm said that after Schlittler spun yet another gem, holding the middling Reds to four hits, a hit-by-pitch and zero walks over six scoreless innings in a 5-0 win for the Yankees.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
In congressional races across the country, a new crop of super PACs is taking to the air with millions of dollars worth of advertisements to sway voters.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
These thin sheets of lead containing scratches of supernatural desires were used to sway a court case, target a rival, or even a lover, as per Archaeology News.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
Canada’s first-ever World Cup win was overshadowed yesterday when midfielder Ismaël Koné suffered a broken leg after a tackle that left teammates shaken and coach Jesse Marsch lamenting an injury that turned a night of celebration into one of anguish.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
-
In a major rupture, strong shaking could cause severe damage near the fault and in areas built on soft or water-saturated soils, which can amplify shaking.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
The tiny island nation that stunned tournament favorite Spain in last week's opener took a 1-0 lead over Uruguay early in their match on Kevin Pina's free kick.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 June 2026
-
The strike ended a 299-minute World Cup scoring drought for the 2010 champions, who had been held goalless in their opener by Cape Verde — a result that stunned the football world.—
Olivia Shalhoup,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
Through the fantastical nature of this story and the original nature of the omniscient narrator Ahmad is able to continually surprise.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 June 2026
-
There was also a nice moment with his dad, who surprised him after flying to New York on a red-eye Sunday morning.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2026
Adjective
-
During Vargas Llosa’s lifetime, his political beliefs underwent extreme changes, from supporting Castro’s revolutionary Communism to championing traditional European liberalism, which included an adamantine belief in unregulated markets.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Still, Naz, whose solitary ways confuse his family, very much wishes that Aziza wasn’t meeting his adamantine mother, Claudine (LaTanya Richardson Jackson), or his famous father, or his ex-state-senator older brother, Junior (Glenn Davis), recently incarcerated for embezzling campaign funds.—
Helen Shaw,
The New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
What a privilege for our crown-jewel stadium to welcome folks from around the globe and act as an advertisement for Atlanta and our country.—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
18 June 2026
-
Savopoulos makes just a handful of jewels a year, available through Symbolic & Chase’s London salon.—
Jill Newman,
Robb Report,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
As the carriage lurched forward, the teen’s mother fell from the vehicle, prompting Romanch Mahajan to jump out in an effort to help her, The Times reported.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
As the opening ceremony began with a flurry of speeches, the bus carrying Team Zambia lurched to a stop by the side of the road in southern Zimbabwe, 200 miles away.—
Ryan Lenora Brown,
NPR,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rock. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
