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
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2
as in wobbling
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
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3
as in stunning
to make senseless or dizzy by a blow
she rocked the mugger with a single punch and then ran
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rocking
Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
The youngest of those sisters, Rosa, is played by the aforementioned Charli xcx, contributing a serviceable performance that doesn’t demand much of her apart from the need to look ravishingly exotic and rocking her famous mane of brunette waves.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
The place would be rocking and certainly give the Jayhawks an edge going into the fourth quarter.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2025
For the museum outing, Kate wore her hair loose with a side part, rocking her signature bouncy blowout.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Bose isn't rocking the boat with pricing; its new earphones cost the same as the old ones.
—PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
After the shocks to our economy because of COVID-19, supply chain issues, and rapidly changing technology, the instability rocking Main Street is causing prices to climb even higher.
—Derek Tran, Oc Register, 1 Sep. 2025
The following picture shows Moses rocking the stage while playing a guitar.
—Colson Thayer, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
At a point where the resurgent Chili's is rocking, Cracker Barrel is still selling rocking chairs.
—Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
Noun
The evening was packed with rocking performances, emotional tributes and an unexpected amount of love for therapists.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
The youngest of those sisters, Rosa, is played by the aforementioned Charli xcx, contributing a serviceable performance that doesn’t demand much of her apart from the need to look ravishingly exotic and rocking her famous mane of brunette waves.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
The place would be rocking and certainly give the Jayhawks an edge going into the fourth quarter.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2025
For the museum outing, Kate wore her hair loose with a side part, rocking her signature bouncy blowout.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Bose isn't rocking the boat with pricing; its new earphones cost the same as the old ones.
—PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
After the shocks to our economy because of COVID-19, supply chain issues, and rapidly changing technology, the instability rocking Main Street is causing prices to climb even higher.
—Derek Tran, Oc Register, 1 Sep. 2025
The following picture shows Moses rocking the stage while playing a guitar.
—Colson Thayer, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
At a point where the resurgent Chili's is rocking, Cracker Barrel is still selling rocking chairs.
—Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rocking
Verb
-
The crowd was especially amped up during the performance, with Ciara among many in the audience standing up and swaying (and seemingly singing) along.—
Stacy Lambe,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Hamas on Friday released a video of two hostages being driven around Gaza City, in a move apparently aimed at swaying Israeli public opinion as the military ramps up its assault on the city.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The most common form, cervical dystonia, affects the neck, causing wobbling or worse, the inability to hold the head upright.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
-
But the Axis was guaranteed to fail, and the signs of that failure were visible long before the Axis started wobbling.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But while the new movie dawdles on its way to Toxie’s origins, then rushes toward a finale with a lurching rhythm that verges on calculated ineptitude, its spirit never feels inauthentic.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
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The result, nearly eight months into his second term, is an economy that appears to be lurching into a new era of state control.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Practice rounds sometimes turn into showcases of raw talent, the kind that leave teammates shaking their heads at the sound off his club face.—
Zach Sweet,
Kansas City Star,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Police alleged that the brain bleed was consistent with shaking an infant.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Still, the cluster exhibited a subtle trembling motion while it was held in place.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The production of the film itself was understandably an emotional undertaking, with the actors not actually hearing Rajab’s voice until cameras started rolling.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
3 Sep. 2025
-
At dawn, the road to Lajatico in Tuscany winds through a dreamy world of rolling hills covered in vineyards that gently spill down into medieval villages frozen in time.—
Jim Dobson,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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China's housing downturn has stretched into a fourth year, with prices, sales, investment and construction activity faltering across the board.—
Anniek Bao,Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
25 Aug. 2025
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Investors’ long-running enthusiasm for artificial intelligence showed signs of faltering late Tuesday and early Wednesday morning as tech stocks tumbled.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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After surprising the baseball world and reaching the playoffs last season, Kansas City has played well below that level in 2025.—
Andrew Wright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Listed at 5-foot-9 and 210 pounds, Barnes has gotten most of the reps with the first-team offense, surprising some after he mostly was used as a power back in the spring.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rocking. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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