1
as in amazed
affected with sudden and great wonder or surprise
was flabbergasted when we heard she was moving out of the state
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wondering
filled with amazement or wonder
responded to the news of his arrival with a flabbergasted gasp
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in surprised
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
your decision to suddenly quit your job flabbergasts me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of flabbergasted
Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 3 July 2025
Few in cable news media can boast of such a tenuous understanding of American politics, as evidenced by Reid’s flabbergasted reaction to Donald Trump’s 2024 defeat of Kamala Harris.
—Becket Adams, National Review, 2 Mar. 2025
In a video shared on Miss America’s Instagram page, Stockard appeared flabbergasted as she was crowned the victor.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Rowe was repeatedly asked by flabbergasted lawmakers how glaring and elementary security failings were allowed to happen, including communications difficulties between the Secret Service and local law enforcement, as well as the lax security of the rally perimeter.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 5 Dec. 2024
Rowe was repeatedly asked by flabbergasted lawmakers how problems so obvious in hindsight were allowed to happen.
—Rebecca Santana, Sun Sentinel, 5 Dec. 2024
The channel’s flabbergasted hosts, played by Heidi Gardner and Mikey Day, try their best to steer away from the fact that the cookie is a boob.
—Rima Parikh, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2024
Vinicius looked flabbergasted when referee Jesus Valenzuela produced a yellow card — one that means he will now be suspended for Brazil’s quarterfinal date with Uruguay.
—Jack Lang, The Athletic, 2 July 2024
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
The unexpected barb left Kimmel flabbergasted.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Feb. 2026
Bill Belichick’s resume screams one-way ticket to Canton, Ohio, but when he wasn’t voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, many were left flabbergasted on Tuesday night.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Shapiro was flabbergasted and offended.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Not only was the hockey world surprised, Sennecke himself was flabbergasted.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 18 Jan. 2026
Hong Kong Restaurant A fixture in downtown Nampa, the Chinese food destination abruptly closed in September, leaving customers flabbergasted, saddened and nostalgic.
—Michael Deeds
january 1, Idaho Statesman, 1 Jan. 2026
There he was flabbergasted to discover video footage of a woman wearing a dark Balenciaga sack dress on the streets of Paris in the ’50s, encountering curiosity and visible scorn.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 4 Oct. 2025
To be clear, it's been extremely detrimental to the Yankees, who have to be flabbergasted at his immediate fall-off upon arrival.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
An enthralling photo of Shelton knelling on one knee holding out a ring toward a flabbergasted Berdomas has over 15 million views on X largely due to the massive twister behind them.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 3 July 2025
Few in cable news media can boast of such a tenuous understanding of American politics, as evidenced by Reid’s flabbergasted reaction to Donald Trump’s 2024 defeat of Kamala Harris.
—Becket Adams, National Review, 2 Mar. 2025
In a video shared on Miss America’s Instagram page, Stockard appeared flabbergasted as she was crowned the victor.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Rowe was repeatedly asked by flabbergasted lawmakers how glaring and elementary security failings were allowed to happen, including communications difficulties between the Secret Service and local law enforcement, as well as the lax security of the rally perimeter.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 5 Dec. 2024
Rowe was repeatedly asked by flabbergasted lawmakers how problems so obvious in hindsight were allowed to happen.
—Rebecca Santana, Sun Sentinel, 5 Dec. 2024
The channel’s flabbergasted hosts, played by Heidi Gardner and Mikey Day, try their best to steer away from the fact that the cookie is a boob.
—Rima Parikh, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2024
Vinicius looked flabbergasted when referee Jesus Valenzuela produced a yellow card — one that means he will now be suspended for Brazil’s quarterfinal date with Uruguay.
—Jack Lang, The Athletic, 2 July 2024
Verb
This leaves Gerry flabbergasted.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
The unexpected barb left Kimmel flabbergasted.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Feb. 2026
Bill Belichick’s resume screams one-way ticket to Canton, Ohio, but when he wasn’t voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, many were left flabbergasted on Tuesday night.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Shapiro was flabbergasted and offended.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Not only was the hockey world surprised, Sennecke himself was flabbergasted.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 18 Jan. 2026
Hong Kong Restaurant A fixture in downtown Nampa, the Chinese food destination abruptly closed in September, leaving customers flabbergasted, saddened and nostalgic.
—Michael Deeds
january 1, Idaho Statesman, 1 Jan. 2026
There he was flabbergasted to discover video footage of a woman wearing a dark Balenciaga sack dress on the streets of Paris in the ’50s, encountering curiosity and visible scorn.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 4 Oct. 2025
To be clear, it's been extremely detrimental to the Yankees, who have to be flabbergasted at his immediate fall-off upon arrival.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flabbergasted
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
-
The incident has gotten a lot of play, which surprised UConn coach Mike Cavanaugh, who did not make a big deal out of it at the time, or since.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Advertisement When the researchers ran their analysis, they were surprised by how strong the connection was between heart problems and sleep disorders.—
Veronique Greenwood,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The stunned policemen opened the door.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The crowd erupted as Brady posed for photos, signed autographs and ripped packs alongside stunned fans.—
Andy Scholes,
CNN Money,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
One that draws more approving thumbs-ups, creates more astonished grins, or pulls more phones from pockets for impromptu photographs and video—especially in stunning Verde Ermes metallic paint.—
Michael Harley,
Forbes.com,
19 Jan. 2026
-
Live, the 11-year-old actor shared his astonished reaction to getting the note.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Those are just some examples of how Chinese startups and tech giants are rapidly expanding worldwide, one year after DeepSeek’s AI reasoning model shocked global investors.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Trenace Dorsey-Hollins, leader of the education advocacy group Parent Shield Fort Worth, said she was shocked by the news that Molinar would be replaced.—
Silas Allen,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And the posts do tend to trigger horrified reactions from other TikTok users.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The partygoers don’t really know how to react until Stab interrupts the performance to choke Kid out, and then everyone becomes horrified.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
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
“Flabbergasted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flabbergasted. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
