1
as in amazed
affected with sudden and great wonder or surprise
realizing that they had been left out of the will, the billionaire's relatives just sat there, stunned
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion
the loud noise left her momentarily stunned
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in dazed
to make senseless or dizzy by a blow
a powerful uppercut to the jaw stunned the boxer and sent him crashing to the canvas
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in surprised
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
the news of their boss's termination stunned the staff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stunned
Jim Halterman, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
The mother of four stunned, wearing a long-sleeved, figure-hugging metallic dress to walk the red carpet at the Oscars after-party.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Minnesota killing off a late-period penalty was about the only highlight for Wild fans, who went to the second intermission a bit stunned at the deficit facing their team.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2026
The stunned victim dropped to the floor about five minutes later.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026
Berry, who immediately wiped away his saliva, looked stunned, even horrified, but Brody didn’t seem to notice.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 12 Mar. 2026
Photos of Tan circulated widely across social media, sparking the same kind of stunned reactions that continue to surface today with his 60th birthday.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
The short film shows the singer walking through New York City in real time, playing his songs on subway cars and various spots around the city, and leaving a trail of stunned fans in his wake.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2026
The stunned policemen opened the door.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2026
The news stunned California, where Chavez rose to national prominence in the mid-1960s as a galvanizing force for better pay and working conditions for agricultural laborers.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
The Bruins stunned the Cowgirls to start the game, scoring the first nine points and racing to a 21-6 lead after the first quarter, when the Cowgirls had six turnovers and missed 14 of 16 shots.
—Dallas Morning News, 23 Mar. 2026
The race is expected to be tight and follows a campaign rocked by allegations of foreign interference that stunned the traditionally moderate EU country.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
When freshman center Gandy Malou-Mamel walked into Gampel Pavilion on Friday for the UConn women’s basketball team’s first official NCAA Tournament practice, she was stunned by the makeover that the Huskies’ home arena had undergone.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2026
Rebecca Flores, a former United Farm Workers director in South Texas, told the San Antonio Express-News the revelations stunned her.
—Nancy M. Preyor-Johnson, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Mar. 2026
Na Hong-jin’s Hope Na Hong-jin stunned Cannes in 2016 with his visceral supernatural thriller The Wailing.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Lori Loughlin has left fans stunned over her youthful look.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Part of the big event began at the end of last week’s episode, when a stunned NCIS director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) tells Parker that NCIS is being shut down.
—Jim Halterman, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
The mother of four stunned, wearing a long-sleeved, figure-hugging metallic dress to walk the red carpet at the Oscars after-party.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Minnesota killing off a late-period penalty was about the only highlight for Wild fans, who went to the second intermission a bit stunned at the deficit facing their team.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2026
The stunned victim dropped to the floor about five minutes later.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026
Berry, who immediately wiped away his saliva, looked stunned, even horrified, but Brody didn’t seem to notice.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 12 Mar. 2026
Photos of Tan circulated widely across social media, sparking the same kind of stunned reactions that continue to surface today with his 60th birthday.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
The short film shows the singer walking through New York City in real time, playing his songs on subway cars and various spots around the city, and leaving a trail of stunned fans in his wake.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2026
The stunned policemen opened the door.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
The original footage showed something remarkable — dogs acting with coordination, loyalty, and determination that stunned viewers.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2026
The news stunned California, where Chavez rose to national prominence in the mid-1960s as a galvanizing force for better pay and working conditions for agricultural laborers.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
The Bruins stunned the Cowgirls to start the game, scoring the first nine points and racing to a 21-6 lead after the first quarter, when the Cowgirls had six turnovers and missed 14 of 16 shots.
—Dallas Morning News, 23 Mar. 2026
The race is expected to be tight and follows a campaign rocked by allegations of foreign interference that stunned the traditionally moderate EU country.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
When freshman center Gandy Malou-Mamel walked into Gampel Pavilion on Friday for the UConn women’s basketball team’s first official NCAA Tournament practice, she was stunned by the makeover that the Huskies’ home arena had undergone.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2026
Rebecca Flores, a former United Farm Workers director in South Texas, told the San Antonio Express-News the revelations stunned her.
—Nancy M. Preyor-Johnson, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Mar. 2026
Na Hong-jin’s Hope Na Hong-jin stunned Cannes in 2016 with his visceral supernatural thriller The Wailing.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Lori Loughlin has left fans stunned over her youthful look.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stunned
Adjective
-
This visual sleight of hand worked so well that sometimes even Gomez was amazed.—
Alex Morris,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Liu, so amazed, emerges from the building with her phone out.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
There was no punchline, no twist — just the straightforward, slightly bewildered observation that someone, somewhere, had performed surgery on a grape.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Exasperated, bewildered, and realizing other musicians were also dealing with this, Bender came up with a way to show just how porous the system was.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Eleven, the show’s telekinetic heroine, who grew up in a lab, became dazed by the number of clothing options at the Gap.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
26 Dec. 2025
-
Firefighters were trying to put out flames, others were trying to find victims inside, Sanford's truck was still there and church members who'd just survived the horror were on the lawn, dazed.—
Georgea Kovanis,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Lancaster County Councilman Brian Carnes, who represents the high-growth Indian Land area, isn’t surprised by the latest ranking.—
John Marks,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Open communication is essential for optimal cancer treatment Ayoade and Boffa were surprised how few patients had disclosed plans to use alternative therapy to their treatment teams.—
Stacy Kish,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Cain seems genuinely shocked by this.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Lexi, who appears to be an assistant, is shocked.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
When the director approached Hanks directly, the actor was confused.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
After catching confused glances all through Venice, traversing neighborhoods and winding along Abbott Kinney, the group landed at the home of Matt Ricotta.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But the war with Iran has rocked markets, sending the Dow and Nasdaq into correction territory.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The horrific shooting has rocked the Plainville community, with its reverberations being felt throughout the state.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The news, revealed in court filings last week, astonished environmental lawyers, who were already shocked after the Department of the Interior announced two weeks ago that a meeting to discuss an exemption would take place on March 31.—
Chiara Eisner,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Holmes is a funny guy, making impossible deductions and Watson still managing to be astonished by it.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stunned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stunned. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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