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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thunderstrike
Verb
-
None of this would have surprised a previous generation of German thinkers—the group known as the Institute for Social Research, or the Frankfurt School.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026 -
Stage Is Only One Piece of the Story One reason patients are surprised by the complexity of early breast cancer is that stage alone doesn’t tell the full story.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
More than 30 years later, what amazes me isn’t just what that team accomplished on the field.—
Charlie Davies,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
-
This technology still amazes me.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
In a phone interview with The Times, her sister, Vanessa Marseille, said the family was shocked and devastated over the incident.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
The audience was definitely shocked and also touched.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
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
-
While the cameras were rolling, Spielberg would stand just out of frame with two wooden bats, banging them together to startle her.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
19 June 2026
-
To his luck, the sound finally startled the bear and sent it running.—
Paloma Chavez,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Meloni is astonished and defiant Trump’s posturing underscored how his alliance with Meloni — who has long been seen as one of his closest friends in Europe — has frayed over his war in Iran, his tariffs against Europe and his complaints when anyone disagrees with him.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
They’d be astonished, delighted.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Thunderstrike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thunderstrike. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
