rocked

past tense of rock
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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 The Ivy League college where fraternities throw parties in towering mansions and students weave between deep gorges on their way to class is being rocked over the handling of rape allegations from 2024. — Grey Battle, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026 Hawks rookie guard Kingston Flemings rocked a special pair of shoes in the team’s exhibition game against the Spurs Thursday. — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 10 Oct. 2026 An Avianca flight heading from Colombia to New York was rocked by turbulence, diverting the plane to Miami on Friday and sending several crew members and passengers to the hospital. — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026 The public fallout from her allegations have rocked one of the country’s leading educational institutions. — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026 That happiness is exactly what Evergreen needed, after a tragic school shooting rocked the community one year ago. — Olivia Young, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 As one of the tough, defiant women of L7, Sparks has rocked as hard as anyone, built on distorted guitars and extending to the band’s humor and politics. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 7 Oct. 2026 The Gators rocked Ole Miss one week after the Rebels made a statement win against LSU. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026 The Aggies poor play doomed them to an 0-2 start in SEC play as the Wildcats outplayed them at home in the conference opener before the Tigers rocked them in the team’s first road game of the year. — Peter Warren, Houston Chronicle, 30 Sep. 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
  • On top of all of that, the AI trade faltered this week amid growing concerns that some companies are issuing too much debt to build out their AI networks.
    — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • This week a deal for Volta Infrastructure faltered as investors feeling full-up on data center debt demanded higher yields.
    — Ellen DiMauro, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • An Oklahoma copper theft suspect stunned a deputy with a headfirst dive through a closed window, but overlooked one detail that helped deputies track him down.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • But these three diffuse galaxies, known as DF2, DF4, and DF9, have left astronomers stunned.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • One early adopter, Matt Robb, gave Muse the keys to his Facebook Marketplace account and was surprised when buyers started showing up at his front door ready to pick up their purchase.
    — Adam Clark Estes, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Some Republicans aren’t surprised by the backseat role Musk has taken.
    — Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The judge appeared swayed by DHS’ assurances but needed time to consider.
    — Ryan Devereaux, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Thus, the races are not swayed by the wave of voters electing their presidential candidate of choice.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The crossing left at least 140 migrants dead and shook the city perched on the Mediterranean coast.
    — JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Both were arrested and were being held in separate prisons in the central city of Isfahan over their participation in the nationwide January protests that shook the Islamic republic.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 13 Oct. 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
  • Larry remarks, amazed all these years later by this odd before-they-were-stars encounter.
    — Blake J. Harris, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • And especially with the stock market—I’m amazed the stock market still hasn’t really taken the hit.
    — Victoria Feng, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rocked. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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