rocked

past tense of rock
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2
as in faltered
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

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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 rocked On the streets of New York, Zoey Deutch expertly pulled off a purple cardigan with red pants, while Dua Lipa rocked a head-to-toe Ferragamo ensemble at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, wearing a purple dress with red mules and an east-west bag. Elise Fabre, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, Kravitz rocked black backless slip-ons with a similar round toe. Mariana Best, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026 For her role as the leader of the misfit group, Blanchett rocked a shaggy brown lob that stretched down past her shoulders, and a set of choppy micro-bangs held in place by a single bobby pin. Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 4 Sep. 2026 The shooting rocked the LGBTQIA+ community in a city normally known as an affirming place to live. Rebecca Boone, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Earlier this year, Iran was rocked by widespread anti-government protests. Mick Krever, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 North Carolina was rocked in head coach Bill Belichick's first game at the helm. David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Playing in a seedy Bowery bar to a small group of fellow struggling musicians, the band struck a chord of disharmony that rocked the foundation of the mid-seventies music scene. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026 The biopic rocked the box office this summer, surpassing $1 billion in global ticket sales. Isabelle Farina, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rocked
Verb
  • The airplane lurched skyward, and Elwood was strapped in for the ride.
    Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Markets have lurched up and down as oil prices shot higher because of the war with Iran.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Other elements of this team that were so strong last year also faltered, from pass protection to the tight ends to Davante Adams to the run defense and overall pass rush.
    Matt Barrows, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Many musicians have faltered when trying to follow their first, most famous song.
    Katie Heaney, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Amal Clooney stunned in a red gown, as did Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao, fresh off delivering a master class on the Lido, went from table to table chatting with guests as dinner was served.
    Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 5 Sep. 2026
  • For those who didn't feel like giving the big UMass-Rutgers game Thursday night your time and effort, the Minutemen stunned Greg Schiano's group, 37-21, snapping a 16-game losing streak to FBS teams.
    Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Some were excellent in ways that surprised me and compelled me to see more, some were familiar or forgettable, and others even at just a few minutes in length felt unbearably long.
    Brian Welk, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
  • According to an industry report by Luminate, the first half of 2026 saw a 16 percent surge in CD sales — and you might be surprised by who’s buying them.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The leaves shook and the branches swayed, but the tree stood.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • But lately, state and national legislatures have been stalled by partisan division, swayed by commercial interests and reluctant to pass new restrictions.
    Jonathan Caulkins, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The leaves shook and the branches swayed, but the tree stood.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • All the reshuffling is enough to leave an onlooker shook — or, in the case of the New Orleans Saints, Shough.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • And they were dazed when JJ Buchanan came down with Bryce Underwood's second Hail Mary pass to turn the four-touchdown-underdog Broncos' 12-7 upset into a 13-12 loss.
    CBS News, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Despite looking dazed, Guerrero scampered home to tie the game at 1-1.
    Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Perhaps what amazed me the most was the breadth and the depth to which a general American public seemed to be at a tipping point around the exorbitant cost of health care and how cavernous the gap is between the one percent and the 99 percent.
    Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • But of the many falsehoods told by them, there was one which quite amazed me.
    Agnes Callard, The New York Review of Books, 18 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rocked. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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