variants
also dumfounds
as in amazes
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
the surprise ending will dumbfound even the most seasoned mystery reader
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dumbfounds
Verb
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The second thing that strikes me more and actually amazes me is the fact that this is a story, a trope, that is repeated in most of the presentation of Agnes Pockels.—
Mariel Carr,
Scientific American,
20 Mar. 2026 -
Eva’s romance with her husband, Franklin Plaskett, delights and amazes her.—
Adelle Waldman,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Shrivers’ lasting influence still surprises their children.—
Liz McNeil,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
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Nothing surprises you at Forest, but the Pereira situation feels relatively settled at present.—
David Ornstein,
New York Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When harvested, the roots are cut, which shocks the plant and can delay root reestablishment for several weeks.—
Ryan Bearss,
The Conversation,
20 Apr. 2026
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There are revelations aplenty, shocks too, and dozens of motel breakfasts, all in search of the holy grail, which, in most cases, is represented by a full scholarship to a Division 1 college or university.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Frankie Grande stuns in a velvet and diamond-studded emsemble for the premiere of Broadway's Titanique on April 12.—
Katie Hill,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
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Trump's attack stuns the world.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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His work astonishes and moves people far beyond the fashion bubble to this day.—
WWD Staff,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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The project, which Steinberger has rebranded multiple times—evolving from Clawdbot to Moltbot and finally to OpenClaw—largely owing to politics—has expanded at a pace that startles even seasoned AI experts.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
19 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Dumbfounds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumbfounds. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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