variants
also dumfounded
1
as in stunned
affected with sudden and great wonder or surprise
dumbfounded by the realization that he had just won the grand prize in the multistate lottery
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in amazed
filled with amazement or wonder
dumbfounded visitors to the Grand Canyon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also dumfounded
as in surprised
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
the surprise ending will dumbfound even the most seasoned mystery reader
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of dumbfounded
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Nonetheless, all the experts, including her coach Geno Auriemma, seem dumbfounded by her.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Now that citizens can stare dumbfounded into the same distracting bright lights (and gambling gateways) via ever-present screens, the whole of the United States has essentially transformed into the hellscape once confined to Nevada’s southern tip.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
Colorado has lost four of the past six games, and doubled the amount of regulation losses since Cooper’s dumbfounded laugh.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
The White House has said the president does not believe the lawmakers should be killed, but even Republicans have been left dumbfounded by his response.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 25 Nov. 2025
Ron says, comically dumbfounded.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2025
The leaders of a group that searched for it at the end of June were dumbfounded when the King suddenly appeared on sonar, said Brendon Baillod, president of the Wisconsin Underwater Archeological Association.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 22 Sep. 2025
The Morning Show costars and friends of nearly three decades both learned something new about each other in a recent interview with LADbible, as Aniston, 56, was left dumbfounded after learning that Reese is not actually Witherspoon's name.
—Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
Brendan Hellweg, Baltimore Sun, 9 Mar. 2026
The president’s vehement reaction and over-the-top attacks left some Republican senators dumbfounded.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026
Warren herself is dumbfounded by the bizarre case of mistaken identity.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Even though officials describe work release as a form of custody, the fact that Brom was getting a measure of freedom outraged and dumbfounded many legislators, law enforcement officials and members of the community with knowledge and memories of the horrific crime.
—Matthew Stolle, Twin Cities, 29 Dec. 2025
But now that the project has been abruptly terminated, leaving veterans dumbfounded by the decision.
—John Ramos, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
The release, which Taco Bell says is one of its most exclusive ever, has some fans dumbfounded and others ready to dive right in.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Cubs fans who have caught Brewers games of late have likely been dumbfounded by their performance.
—Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Ultimately, the dumbfounded supervisors complied with the state’s request, begrudgingly voting Tuesday to return the bread.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Nonetheless, all the experts, including her coach Geno Auriemma, seem dumbfounded by her.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Now that citizens can stare dumbfounded into the same distracting bright lights (and gambling gateways) via ever-present screens, the whole of the United States has essentially transformed into the hellscape once confined to Nevada’s southern tip.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
Colorado has lost four of the past six games, and doubled the amount of regulation losses since Cooper’s dumbfounded laugh.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
The White House has said the president does not believe the lawmakers should be killed, but even Republicans have been left dumbfounded by his response.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 25 Nov. 2025
Ron says, comically dumbfounded.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2025
The leaders of a group that searched for it at the end of June were dumbfounded when the King suddenly appeared on sonar, said Brendon Baillod, president of the Wisconsin Underwater Archeological Association.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 22 Sep. 2025
The Morning Show costars and friends of nearly three decades both learned something new about each other in a recent interview with LADbible, as Aniston, 56, was left dumbfounded after learning that Reese is not actually Witherspoon's name.
—Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
Employers are dumbfounded by the state’s restrictiveness.
—Brendan Hellweg, Baltimore Sun, 9 Mar. 2026
The president’s vehement reaction and over-the-top attacks left some Republican senators dumbfounded.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026
Warren herself is dumbfounded by the bizarre case of mistaken identity.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Even though officials describe work release as a form of custody, the fact that Brom was getting a measure of freedom outraged and dumbfounded many legislators, law enforcement officials and members of the community with knowledge and memories of the horrific crime.
—Matthew Stolle, Twin Cities, 29 Dec. 2025
But now that the project has been abruptly terminated, leaving veterans dumbfounded by the decision.
—John Ramos, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
The release, which Taco Bell says is one of its most exclusive ever, has some fans dumbfounded and others ready to dive right in.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Cubs fans who have caught Brewers games of late have likely been dumbfounded by their performance.
—Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dumbfounded
Adjective
-
The stunned sibling couldn’t believe his last words to Chris would be so ordinary, yet so profound in light of what happened.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
7 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
Adjective
-
Proctor was amazed by their artistry and detail.—
James Verini,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Post the performance, the humanoid shook hands with Honor CEO James Li, and also performed a clean backflip that landed flawlessly, leaving the viewers amazed, meeting a ripple of applause across the room.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hyatt said the project’s size surprised even those involved in producing it.—
Jane Horowitz,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
However, in late fall, Oracle surprised the market by raising a significant amount of debt, fueling investor fears that its AI build-out would be costly and put pressure on its balance sheet.—
Seema Mody,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Still, the deal still did catch some off guard, including the trial’s own judge Judge Arun Subramanian, who was shocked to learn that while an agreement was reached last week, the court wasn’t alerted until Monday.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Even Jordan looked shocked as the audience rose to its feet and Viola Davis, the award’s presenter, celebrated.—
Jake Coyle,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Kokuho was her very first film, and the prospect of attending the Academy Awards astonished and baffled her.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Hearing that more-than-one-hour-long chewing episode recorded on the biologger left me astonished.—
Leonie Baier,
The Conversation,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And she is just completely dumbstruck by that.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The parents at this kind of show, of course, are less dumbstruck than the kids: The card is not floating but instead swinging on some string.—
Joseph Vukov,
Chicago Tribune,
29 July 2024
Adjective
-
The tragedy at first bewildered law enforcement in both states, as investigators were unsure why Miller traveled to Utah or why the three women were killed.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Olivier tried successfully to get the reader to understand how a gentle, pacific young man could come to kill more than a thousand people, and so capturing the tone and empathetic portrayal not only of Simo Häyhä and his colleagues but also of the often-bewildered Russian soldiers was essential.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Prosecutors allege Joshua Alvarado, 30, passed out at the wheel of his pickup truck while driving to work and was startled awake by other drivers honking at him.—
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
In the early hours of Sunday morning, as a bar in a busy nightlife district of Austin, Texas, prepared to close for the night, patrons and staff were startled by the sound of gunshots.—
Amanda Musa,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dumbfounded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumbfounded. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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