1
as in stressed
suffering from high levels of physical and especially psychological stress
even after the long furlough, the returning soldiers still felt a little shell-shocked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dazed
suffering from mental confusion
shell-shocked survivors who were in dire need of every kind of help
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 shell-shocked
After four years of heavy subsidies and easing of permitting restrictions under the Biden presidency, those industries must be feeling a bit shell-shocked over the steady stream of bad news coming at them from Washington, DC since January 20.
—
David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
These are the same Oilers who gave the Vegas Golden Knights life with a last-second own-goal in Game 3 of the second round, a result that could have shell-shocked them.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 15 June 2025
Andersen, who had been so good in the series, looked shell-shocked in net and never recovered.
—Scott Powers, New York Times, 29 May 2025
The Charlotte defenders looked shell-shocked, and the collapse accelerated from there.
—Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2025
Boston, even with its title pedigree, looked shell-shocked, out of its league in a way few thought possible given the drastic swings in the series.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025
Alexander-Arnold looked shell-shocked and so did many of his team-mates.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Area Republicans look shell-shocked: President Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement sent a shockwave through the global economy, put the stock market into a tailspin and fueled fears that the U.S. is headed toward a recession.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 4 Apr. 2025
Soaring egg prices have left U.S. consumers scrambling and shell-shocked.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
These are the same Oilers who gave the Vegas Golden Knights life with a last-second own-goal in Game 3 of the second round, a result that could have shell-shocked them.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 15 June 2025
Andersen, who had been so good in the series, looked shell-shocked in net and never recovered.
—Scott Powers, New York Times, 29 May 2025
The Charlotte defenders looked shell-shocked, and the collapse accelerated from there.
—Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2025
Boston, even with its title pedigree, looked shell-shocked, out of its league in a way few thought possible given the drastic swings in the series.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025
Alexander-Arnold looked shell-shocked and so did many of his team-mates.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Area Republicans look shell-shocked: President Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement sent a shockwave through the global economy, put the stock market into a tailspin and fueled fears that the U.S. is headed toward a recession.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 4 Apr. 2025
Soaring egg prices have left U.S. consumers scrambling and shell-shocked.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shell-shocked
Adjective
-
Despite new innovations and medical advancements, people are sicker and more stressed than ever before.—
Robin Shah,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Typically, a tired or stressed kid might drag their feet in the morning—after all, between the demands on their behavior, homework, and socializing, school can easily become overwhelming for students of any age—and that’s totally normal.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Victim’s family, friends in shock In Miami’s Shenandoah neighborhood just off Coral Way, the sudden death of Loretta, a married telecommunications executive with two teenage children, has devastated his family and dazed neighbors.—
Charles Rabin,
Miami Herald,
26 June 2025
-
The woman called her daughter but was too dazed to explain what had happened.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Olivia, bewildered and frightened, runs to the vast body of Tierra del Fuego to look for him.—
Jason Liwag,
Variety,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Whites, bewildered and self-righteous, would find their way to Reagan.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
With no federal law protecting online information and just a patchwork of state privacy laws, many Americans are confused and concerned about how their online information is used, according to surveys by the Pew Research Center.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
-
The memo was welcome for taxpayers who were confused about limits resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) made another tweak.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
About one in three nutrias hooked wide left, into the crowd, scattering those audience members who weren’t too distracted or impaired to notice.—
Nathaniel Rich,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
-
In this country, some states are using the technology to give police patrolling the roads a heads-up on drivers coming their way who are breaking laws on distracted driving and speeding.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
As usual, the moves the Yankees made had so much of the media, here and everywhere, nearly dizzy with excitement, as if the rest of the league and the rest of the sport should now be scared to come out of the clubhouse.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
2 Aug. 2025
-
If those two regularly start games together alongside Solanke or Richarlison, opposition defences will be left feeling dizzy.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shell-shocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shell-shocked. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share