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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of rocking
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
24 June 2026
What looks like an aesthetic rocking chair is actually an anti-gravity chair, to help with spinal decompression.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 June 2026
While Kesteloo is used to traveling at sea, the rocking and swaying of the boat might affect you differently.
—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
Alan Bishop’s latest album seems at first like a showcase of his music at its most rocking.
—
Marc Masters,
Pitchfork,
24 Apr. 2026
There are some traditional pieces that set a framework for the exhibition — functional objects, like a rustic rocking chair made from logs hewn from pine and aspen by Jon Weekly, who owns Medicine Wolf Furniture, headquartered in Denver.
—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
20 Apr. 2026
Then, noticing changes in the wind and the rocking of the boat, an uneasiness crept over the veteran seaman.
—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Then there’s the literal rocking of docks and fishing boats, which causes disputes between different lake users.
—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
2 Apr. 2026
Keeping with the Marlow collection’s outdoor rocking chair theme is this set of two chairs.
—
Carly Totten,
Better Homes & Gardens,
31 Mar. 2026
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
26 June 2026
But other than Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale rocking up as the opposition center forward, this cinematic retelling lacks such unpredictability.
—
Jon O'Brien,
Vulture,
26 June 2026
The hard-rocking Appetite for Destruction was a stone-cold smash, albeit an initially slow-burning one.
—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
26 June 2026
In photos obtained by Just Jared, the 44-year-old hitmaker showed her 56-year-old man love in a sweet way—by rocking his merch.
—
Juliana Ukiomogbe,
InStyle,
26 June 2026
That truck also shares an available 16-speaker Bose sound system with the AT4X, rocking a pair of speakers inside the driver and front passenger headrests.
—
Caleb Jacobs,
The Drive,
25 June 2026
Ariane broke out a true heirloom by rocking the sparkler, as the all-diamond tiara originally belonged to her great-great-great-grandmother.
—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
24 June 2026
Meanwhile, Clark looked flashy rocking her brand-new signature Nike kicks, dropping 26 points and seven assists.
—
Alejandro Avila Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Society has brainwashed us for decades into bottling our emotions, saying less, not rocking the boat, and just carrying so much on our shoulders.
—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Noun
Ditch the plastic iterations for a sculptural rattan rocking horse that doubles as nursery decor when not in use.
—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
24 June 2026
What looks like an aesthetic rocking chair is actually an anti-gravity chair, to help with spinal decompression.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 June 2026
While Kesteloo is used to traveling at sea, the rocking and swaying of the boat might affect you differently.
—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
Alan Bishop’s latest album seems at first like a showcase of his music at its most rocking.
—
Marc Masters,
Pitchfork,
24 Apr. 2026
There are some traditional pieces that set a framework for the exhibition — functional objects, like a rustic rocking chair made from logs hewn from pine and aspen by Jon Weekly, who owns Medicine Wolf Furniture, headquartered in Denver.
—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
20 Apr. 2026
Then, noticing changes in the wind and the rocking of the boat, an uneasiness crept over the veteran seaman.
—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Then there’s the literal rocking of docks and fishing boats, which causes disputes between different lake users.
—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
2 Apr. 2026
Keeping with the Marlow collection’s outdoor rocking chair theme is this set of two chairs.
—
Carly Totten,
Better Homes & Gardens,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
The emphasis is on fun and teamwork, rather than unleashing some sort of psycho Woody Hayes trip on a bunch of kids who are still rocking footy pajamas.
—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
26 June 2026
But other than Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale rocking up as the opposition center forward, this cinematic retelling lacks such unpredictability.
—
Jon O'Brien,
Vulture,
26 June 2026
The hard-rocking Appetite for Destruction was a stone-cold smash, albeit an initially slow-burning one.
—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
26 June 2026
In photos obtained by Just Jared, the 44-year-old hitmaker showed her 56-year-old man love in a sweet way—by rocking his merch.
—
Juliana Ukiomogbe,
InStyle,
26 June 2026
That truck also shares an available 16-speaker Bose sound system with the AT4X, rocking a pair of speakers inside the driver and front passenger headrests.
—
Caleb Jacobs,
The Drive,
25 June 2026
Ariane broke out a true heirloom by rocking the sparkler, as the all-diamond tiara originally belonged to her great-great-great-grandmother.
—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
24 June 2026
Meanwhile, Clark looked flashy rocking her brand-new signature Nike kicks, dropping 26 points and seven assists.
—
Alejandro Avila Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Society has brainwashed us for decades into bottling our emotions, saying less, not rocking the boat, and just carrying so much on our shoulders.
—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rocking
Noun
-
All the trembling, as Kimbangu touched the sick, alarmed European settlers and reassured the plantation workers who trekked to Nkamba in search of healing.
-
At first this change of scale vivifies the butterfly—its brief stillness, the angle of its wings, its trembling—while freezing everything else, including the novel’s action.
Verb
-
In her two-story home, lamps and other objects began swaying violently.
-
Venezuela residents reeling from quakes During the quakes, people ran from swaying buildings.
Verb
-
Chris Jung | Nurphoto | Getty Images Shares of Nvidia have been faltering recently — and Kalshi traders predict that what the company can charge for chips is also declining.
-
After faltering in last year’s Div.
Verb
-
Margaret deploys this power to find Daniel and to free him from Noah and the WARDEX minions—essentially, by stunning them emotionally.
Verb
-
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.
Noun
-
The horror has come now like a storm— what if this night prefigured the night after death— what if all thereafter was an eternal quivering on the edge of an abyss, with everything base and vicious in oneself urging one forward and the baseness and viciousness of the world just ahead.
-
The old dog slowed to a stop, nose full of bird stink, feathery tail quivering.
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.
-
When Colombia heads to the polls June 21, the region will be watching to see if the nation joins the right-wing surge across Latin America, with Chile, Honduras, and Costa Rica lurching to the political right over the past year.
Verb
-
Right now, that faith is shaking as a wave of cruelty sweeps through our communities.
-
With more shaking or churning, these grains grow and separate from the watery, naturally low-fat buttermilk.
Cite this Entry
“Rocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rocking. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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