as in gem
a usually valuable stone cut and polished for ornament
a trophy wife with enough rocks to open her own jewelry store
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to sway
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions
the boat was rocking so much that several passengers felt seasick
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to shake
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side
the drunk rocked on his heels for a moment and then fell flat on his back
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to stun
to make senseless or dizzy by a blow
she rocked the mugger with a single punch and then ran
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to surprise
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
the news of the mayor's sudden death rocked the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in rocklike
Related Words
Dissimilar 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 rock
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
27 June 2026
The festival hosts acts covering pop, EDM, rock, bluegrass, hip-hop and many genres in between.
—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 June 2026
Paul Ridden
june 22,
New Atlas,
22 June 2026
In Alexis Robbins’ vision, her father’s drum parts on the album have been replaced by tap dancers who bang out the steady, rocking rhythms with their feet.
—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2026
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
4 May 2026
An old soul with with a huge, commanding voice, his catalog hovers between the orchestral swoon of pre-rock ballads, the pristine melodies of Anita Baker and the rangy, resilient yearning of his hometown’s soul tradition.
—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rock
Noun
For fans, the first listen was like a hard-rock cold plunge.
—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
27 June 2026
The festival hosts acts covering pop, EDM, rock, bluegrass, hip-hop and many genres in between.
—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 June 2026
Verb
The soundtrack has to rock too.
—
Paul Ridden
june 22,
New Atlas,
22 June 2026
In Alexis Robbins’ vision, her father’s drum parts on the album have been replaced by tap dancers who bang out the steady, rocking rhythms with their feet.
—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2026
Adjective
As the quartet builds toward a post-rock crescendo and a wistful, snowcapped outro that’s lightly accompanied by the sound of children on a playground, Kinsella and his bandmates spin the narrative in a kaleidoscopic language all their own.
—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
4 May 2026
An old soul with with a huge, commanding voice, his catalog hovers between the orchestral swoon of pre-rock ballads, the pristine melodies of Anita Baker and the rangy, resilient yearning of his hometown’s soul tradition.
—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rock
Noun
-
Wedged between two popular vacation towns – Pagosa Springs and Durango – Chimney Rock National Monument is another southwestern Colorado gem.
-
Boutique gems, new offers win the day Elevated VIP-style vacays with truffles, oysters and bubbly are attainable with some tips and tricks.
Verb
-
Martinez even swayed a little in his chair while workers tried to find a way to silence the music.
-
Some gold ETFs directly invest in bullion kept in vaults, while others invest in shares of mining companies that tend to follow the price of gold while also being swayed by the companies' management decisions, efficiency and financials.
Verb
-
The early goal from Germany was a bit demoralizing for the South American team, but Nilson Angulo was able to shake it off with a beautiful shot in the ninth minute to equalize.
-
Any worries about complacency were wiped away in the third minute when Auston Trusty fired home the opening goal and caused the stands at SoFi Stadium to shake (literally) with the noise and jumping fans.
Verb
-
The tiny island nation that stunned tournament favorite Spain in last week's opener took a 1-0 lead over Uruguay early in their match on Kevin Pina's free kick.
-
The strike ended a 299-minute World Cup scoring drought for the 2010 champions, who had been held goalless in their opener by Cape Verde — a result that stunned the football world.
Verb
-
Through the fantastical nature of this story and the original nature of the omniscient narrator Ahmad is able to continually surprise.
-
There was also a nice moment with his dad, who surprised him after flying to New York on a red-eye Sunday morning.
Adjective
-
During Vargas Llosa’s lifetime, his political beliefs underwent extreme changes, from supporting Castro’s revolutionary Communism to championing traditional European liberalism, which included an adamantine belief in unregulated markets.
-
Still, Naz, whose solitary ways confuse his family, very much wishes that Aziza wasn’t meeting his adamantine mother, Claudine (LaTanya Richardson Jackson), or his famous father, or his ex-state-senator older brother, Junior (Glenn Davis), recently incarcerated for embezzling campaign funds.
Noun
-
The figures for the first time give the public a concrete idea about the King’s personal wealth, as opposed to the castles, jewels and artwork that go with the job but aren’t the monarch’s personal property.
-
What will be interesting to see is if Samsung’s new display jewel-in-the-crown, the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s privacy screen, makes it into the Galaxy S27 Pro.
Verb
-
The old guard of the Democratic Party suffered another body blow when three socialist congressional candidates in New York with anti-Israel platforms swept to victory, lurching the party even further to the left.
-
Initial data indicates both of these earthquakes were strike-slip, Magnani said, meaning one plate lurched past the other along the boundary.
Cite this Entry
“Rock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rock. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
