1
as in swaying
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 faltering
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 stunning
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 amazing
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
the news of the mayor's sudden death rocked the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rocking
Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Expect leather benches, custom drapery, rattan rocking chairs, and oversize armoires that discreetly conceal the tile-and-marble bathrooms with soaking tubs and bamboo shades.
—AFAR Media, 30 Dec. 2025
There is only Kyle and her porch and her chair and the rocking, the rocking, the rocking, the rocking.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
The sturdy rocking base is great for steep uphill and downhill control and traction.
—Taylor Fox, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2025
Hey, if the formula’s rocking, why change it now?
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2025
The rest of the quintet — vocalist Dexter Holland, bassist Todd Morse, multi-instrumentalist Jonah Nimoy and drummer Brandon Pertzborn — then joined in for a rocking (yet, sadly, abbreviated) take on that same album’s legendary title track.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
Guests can also head to Bar Car 3674 for a night spent sipping cocktails and listening to live piano music, before retiring to their cabins to fall asleep with the gentle rocking of the train.
—Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2025
Hannah Malach, InStyle, 27 Feb. 2026
Kyle says a teary good-bye to everyone, gets on a boat, and is let out in the deep blue water, heading back to civilization, heading over each rocking swell, not into the future, but somehow into the past.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Bella Hadid, Jenner’s fellow supermodel, was spotted rocking a pair of crisp, cream-colored slacks in Aspen as recently as January.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 25 Feb. 2026
More on The Eagles The Eagles have been rocking for more than five decades.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2026
Ainfox 4-Piece Outdoor Furniture Swivel Chair Sets This set comes with two sturdy swivel chairs, a rocking loveseat, and a side table—all rust- and weather-resistant, with steel framing.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Feb. 2026
Damn, Sarah Pidgeon is rocking that white T-shirt.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2026
The most somber day on the Christian calendar is occasion for U2 to put out a half-dozen songs with appropriately somber themes — but also, in some cases, a hard-rocking musical settings.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
Global interest in curling surged over the past week when a cheating controversy erupted at the Winter Olympics, rocking a staid, 500-year-old sport known for its etiquette, manners and friendliness.
—Steve Douglas, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
In the first stills that have been released, Pfeiffer is seen sitting in a wooden rocking chair on a porch.
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Expect leather benches, custom drapery, rattan rocking chairs, and oversize armoires that discreetly conceal the tile-and-marble bathrooms with soaking tubs and bamboo shades.
—AFAR Media, 30 Dec. 2025
There is only Kyle and her porch and her chair and the rocking, the rocking, the rocking, the rocking.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
The sturdy rocking base is great for steep uphill and downhill control and traction.
—Taylor Fox, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2025
Hey, if the formula’s rocking, why change it now?
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2025
The rest of the quintet — vocalist Dexter Holland, bassist Todd Morse, multi-instrumentalist Jonah Nimoy and drummer Brandon Pertzborn — then joined in for a rocking (yet, sadly, abbreviated) take on that same album’s legendary title track.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
Guests can also head to Bar Car 3674 for a night spent sipping cocktails and listening to live piano music, before retiring to their cabins to fall asleep with the gentle rocking of the train.
—Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
On Friday, Bella Hadid stepped out in Milan to promote her new collaboration with Miss Sixty, rocking blunt platinum bangs reminiscent of the fictional pop star.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 27 Feb. 2026
Kyle says a teary good-bye to everyone, gets on a boat, and is let out in the deep blue water, heading back to civilization, heading over each rocking swell, not into the future, but somehow into the past.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Bella Hadid, Jenner’s fellow supermodel, was spotted rocking a pair of crisp, cream-colored slacks in Aspen as recently as January.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 25 Feb. 2026
More on The Eagles The Eagles have been rocking for more than five decades.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2026
Ainfox 4-Piece Outdoor Furniture Swivel Chair Sets This set comes with two sturdy swivel chairs, a rocking loveseat, and a side table—all rust- and weather-resistant, with steel framing.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Feb. 2026
Damn, Sarah Pidgeon is rocking that white T-shirt.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2026
The most somber day on the Christian calendar is occasion for U2 to put out a half-dozen songs with appropriately somber themes — but also, in some cases, a hard-rocking musical settings.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
Global interest in curling surged over the past week when a cheating controversy erupted at the Winter Olympics, rocking a staid, 500-year-old sport known for its etiquette, manners and friendliness.
—Steve Douglas, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rocking
Verb
-
Unlock The Mystery Surrounding A Lone Mailbox Sticking out like a sore thumb along gently swaying sea oats and majestic sand dunes, the Wrightsville Beach Mailbox is a legendary character in this part of North Carolina.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
-
While many of the notable Art Deco buildings that give the area its charm were constructed in the 1930s, Miami Beach had a second heyday in the 1950s and ’60s, when TV stars including Jackie Gleason helped draw tourists to the town with the backdrop of swaying palm trees and a tropical moon.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Milan’s faltering title hopes in Serie A won’t be helped by a horrible injury to Ruben Loftus-Cheek.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Even if things don’t go exactly as planned, you’re braced to make any necessary adjustments without faltering.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In one camp Gao Sheng breaks a cultural norm by helping her father and uncles with a big project, amazing her relatives with her physical and mental strength.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Its strength ranges from mild, causing little more discomfort than a slight trembling, to severe, in which passengers or flight crew can be thrown around the cabin and risk injury if not wearing seatbelts.—
Cat Rainsford,
Popular Science,
15 Jan. 2026
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There’s Walter’s serene cello and Marjorie’s pensive, slightly coy violin, sometimes playful or petulant or, still, a little vain and secretive — other times thin and trembling, lost in the haze of dementia.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The two sides have been lurching toward this end for a while now.—
Josh Kendall,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Brant, who was elected in a special election in August, inherited an office already in disarray, in a county that has spent the past year lurching from one government crisis to the next.—
Nick El Hajj,
Des Moines Register,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Like all melodramatists, Hong deals in coincidence and magnifies casual connections and minor accidents into life-shaking events.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Other causes included multiple injuries, gunshot wounds, suffocation, burns and shaking.—
Lisa Schencker,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Fairview came out throwing haymakers, dazing the Bruins in the early going.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
23 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The old dog slowed to a stop, nose full of bird stink, feathery tail quivering.—
Joel M. Vance,
Outdoor Life,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rocking. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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