jaw-dropper

as in surprise
something that makes a strong impression because it is so unexpected the underdog's victory was a jaw-dropper in boxing circles

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for jaw-dropper
Noun
  • The Blue Jackets, who added veteran forwards Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood earlier in the day, selected defenseman Jackson Smith with the No. 14 overall pick and — in a surprise to many — goaltender Pyotr Andreyanov with the No. 20 overall pick.
    Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • Studies using fMRI scans show that when people experience a good magic trick, areas in the brain linked to conflict detection and surprise—like the anterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex—light up.
    Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • The majority of those injured at Soroka were hurt while seeking shelter or suffered from shock.
    Amanda Castro Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
  • In the age of Trump’s global tariffs, Beijing is unleashing an export shock across the globe.
    Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 19 June 2025
Noun
  • But while global markets are expected to see an initial jolt, there are other mitigating factors that could soften the blow.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 22 June 2025
  • Disney had anticipated that E-na’s atypical nature might be a jolt to audiences.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 19 June 2025
Noun
  • All of this overlooks Payne’s Valley, my favorite course at Big Cedar and a drop-dead visual stunner with more lakes, more greens, more waterfalls, and beauty as far as the eye can see.
    Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • The host Rams hummed along like a brand-new car, pulling off a 25-18, 25-15 stunner over Brother Rice at the Reavis Regional in Burbank, winning their first regional title since 2011.
    Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
Noun
  • But recent revelations say the divided response to the last album cycle read too much into the bubbly early-aughts nostalgia on its aesthetic surface, not recognizing Solar’s pursuit of joy, smallness, and sated inaccessibility as coping strategies.
    Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 27 June 2025
  • Jordan once fired on a small hut suspected of shooting down a U.S. helicopter and later learned that women and children were among the dead inside, a revelation that always haunted him, even though his actions were found to be legal, the clemency petition said.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • One of these bombshells is Cal State Fullerton alum Jose Garcia Gonzalez, known to viewers by his nickname, Pepe.
    Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 18 June 2025
  • Charlie Georgiou, a 27-year-old from Birmingham, United Kingdom, entered as a bombshell with Cierra Ortega on Day 2 of Love Island USA Season 7.
    Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 17 June 2025
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jaw-dropper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jaw-dropper. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!