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
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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
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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
-
In 2022, a study published in the journal Urban Science put the average stress level of homeowners as significantly higher than that of renters, with those who move more frequently more stressed than those who don't.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
-
Because a scalped turfgrass is a stressed turfgrass that then requires even more water to be healthy.—
Claire Marks,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
At some point, Kevin, dazed but not incapacitated, got on the line with a dispatcher.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 July 2025
-
In footage shared by local media, he was seen bloodied, dazed and clutching his mobile phone.—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
A couple was left bewildered after discovering an unfamiliar cat helping itself to their own pet's food in a now-viral TikTok video that has left viewers on the platform in hysterics.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
-
Officials in other places that had voted overwhelmingly for President Trump but were far from the front lines of the immigration debate were simply bewildered.—
Campbell Robertson,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
Everyone was very confused about whether the watch’s band could be resized because only one kind of wrist was shown in the commercial.—
Seth Reiss,
New Yorker,
10 July 2025
-
The home appeared on Zillow Gone Wild, a Facebook page that highlights unique houses on the real estate market, and people were a little confused about the interior style.—
TJ Macias
July 10,
Miami Herald,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
At the time, Twitter’s ad business was in trouble—and Tesla shareholders worried Musk was too distracted from his supposed main gig, running the automaker.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
10 July 2025
-
Serious traffic crashes and deaths have risen sharply across the U.S., largely due to distracted driving.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
Some users have reported feeling dizzy and nauseated from playing VR for too long.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
-
Victims may see a bruise or small red mark at the injection site and, if injected with an unknown substance, report blurry vision, nausea, or feeling woozy, dizzy, and even loss of consciousness, according to Spike Aware UK's website.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shell-shocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shell-shocked. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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