as in amazes
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
the news that you and she broke up absolutely astonishes me
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Recent Examples of astonishes
More than 42,000 of those pieces were found over just the past eight years of excavation, a pace that astonishes even the researchers leading the work.
—
Ryan Brennan
april 1, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
His work astonishes and moves people far beyond the fashion bubble to this day.
—Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Ryan Brennan
april 1, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
His work astonishes and moves people far beyond the fashion bubble to this day.
—Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for astonishes
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
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Laura Dern looks amazing in marabou feathers, Marissa Long stuns in sequins, and Chris Messina is also there.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
27 May 2026
-
Torch Lake in Michigan stuns with its clear turquoise water, glacial origins, and iconic summer sandbar scene.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
That finding surprises many people because modern entrepreneurship education often treats venture capital as the default path to growth.—
Dileep Rao,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
If a neighbor surprises you, name a need and set timing that respects your energy.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The combination of flashing light and movement startles them.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
-
If hypotheticals about what could have been are a good dream for New York Knicks fans, then Mikal Bridges is the alarm clock that startles them awake.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Many of those who knew the victims and the 25-year-old suspect say the news still shocks them.—
Julia Avant,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
Bubbles Didn’t Enter The Picture That Early In one of the moist unintentionally hilarious moments in the movie, Michael shocks his family by adopting a CGI baby chimpanzee named Bubbles sometime around 1979.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Astonishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/astonishes. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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