1
as in collisions
a forceful coming together of two things
the whole railway platform shook from the shock of the two trains colliding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in astonishments
the state of being strongly impressed by something unexpected or unusual
were in shock after they heard the news of the death of the president
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in appalls
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
Mom was shocked by the terrible news that her cousin had died in an accident I was shocked to find out that I was the victim of identity theft
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in surprises
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
were shocked by the way the law against public intoxication was constantly being broken
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in scares
to strike with fear
the sudden appearance of the ghost shocked us to the core
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shocks
Allie Canal, NBC news, 7 Apr. 2026
Fossil fuel shocks have historically strengthened the case for alternative energy sources, and green hydrogen could again benefit from higher fossil fuel prices — at least temporarily.
—Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Other examples show that the equity response is not uniform, conditions generally become more difficult after crude oil price shocks.
—Katie Stockton, CNBC, 6 Apr. 2026
Oil shocks during the 1970s represented a turning point where governments started running deficits constantly instead of just occasionally, Sharma pointed out.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
The war with Iran increases the risk for significant and persistent oil and commodity price shocks, Dimon warned.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026
The oil shocks of the 1970s forced traumatic austerity on Americans.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026
But surviving a stress test is different from being designed to absorb shocks and recover.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
In the study where people chose electric shocks over sitting alone with their thoughts, being with their inner experience felt almost intolerable.
—J. David Creswell, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
Eric McDaniel, NPR, 7 Apr. 2026
Nolan’s loss to an unknown rookie shocks everyone.
—Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Stabbing shocks Olathe community Officers responded around noon March 19 to the 1000 block of North Ridgeview Road after reports of an armed disurbance.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
Two years later, an eerily similar crime shocks the city—this time involving the son of Chief of Police Greg Lamar (Raymond-James).
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
The pacing could be tauter and shocks more visceral, but the film keeps us intrigued enough.
—Bob Strauss, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Mar. 2026
Historically, Citadel notes, productivity shocks lower marginal costs, expand output, and increase real income, acting as a complement to human labor rather than a strict substitute.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026
By contrast, in the United States, employers are not required to offer or contribute to a retirement plan at all – a fact that shocks many workers with pensions.
—Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
That moment is similar to one in the show where another closeted hockey star, Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) shocks the world by kissing his secret boyfriend on center ice after winning a championship.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
Still, said Buckberg, the series of back-to-back shocks over the past five years could make this moment different, leaving drivers more sensitive to swings at the pump — and more frustrated by the volatility.
—Allie Canal, NBC news, 7 Apr. 2026
Fossil fuel shocks have historically strengthened the case for alternative energy sources, and green hydrogen could again benefit from higher fossil fuel prices — at least temporarily.
—Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Other examples show that the equity response is not uniform, conditions generally become more difficult after crude oil price shocks.
—Katie Stockton, CNBC, 6 Apr. 2026
Oil shocks during the 1970s represented a turning point where governments started running deficits constantly instead of just occasionally, Sharma pointed out.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
The war with Iran increases the risk for significant and persistent oil and commodity price shocks, Dimon warned.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026
The oil shocks of the 1970s forced traumatic austerity on Americans.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026
But surviving a stress test is different from being designed to absorb shocks and recover.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
In the study where people chose electric shocks over sitting alone with their thoughts, being with their inner experience felt almost intolerable.
—J. David Creswell, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
His statement threatening to eradicate an entire civilization shocks the conscience and requires a decisive congressional response.
—Eric McDaniel, NPR, 7 Apr. 2026
Nolan’s loss to an unknown rookie shocks everyone.
—Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Stabbing shocks Olathe community Officers responded around noon March 19 to the 1000 block of North Ridgeview Road after reports of an armed disurbance.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
Two years later, an eerily similar crime shocks the city—this time involving the son of Chief of Police Greg Lamar (Raymond-James).
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
The pacing could be tauter and shocks more visceral, but the film keeps us intrigued enough.
—Bob Strauss, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Mar. 2026
Historically, Citadel notes, productivity shocks lower marginal costs, expand output, and increase real income, acting as a complement to human labor rather than a strict substitute.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026
By contrast, in the United States, employers are not required to offer or contribute to a retirement plan at all – a fact that shocks many workers with pensions.
—Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
That moment is similar to one in the show where another closeted hockey star, Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) shocks the world by kissing his secret boyfriend on center ice after winning a championship.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shocks
Noun
-
Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin appeared to get banged up from a series of collisions and was in obvious pain on the bench in the second.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Sadly, it’s estimated that more than 100 million to one billion birds die every year in collisions with manmade structures.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Oscars, airing March 2 on ABC and streaming live on Hulu, will offer up kudos for some of these astonishments.—
Peter Rainer,
Christian Science Monitor,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Your Skin Benefits Too This one surprises people, but the research backs it up.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Tulsa responded with a level of generosity that still surprises him.—
Jimmy Jellinek,
SPIN,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Amid the positives, what scares you the most right now about the industry?—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
-
That distinction, between desensitization and normalization, is crucial to how Goldhaber and Mazzei approach scares in the digital age.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Then, as the pandemic waned, in 2023 and early ’24, came two jolts to the system – federal pandemic-era assistance ended, pulling food and food-related funding away from charities, and the number of people seeking food continued to grow.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Two of America’s largest tech companies suffered stunning defeats in court this week, sustaining early jolts in what could prove to be a seismic shift in how social media operates amid a new landscape of legal risk.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sunday was another game-long display of why Wembanyama horrifies opponents from either side of the ball.—
James Jackson,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The second thing that strikes me more and actually amazes me is the fact that this is a story, a trope, that is repeated in most of the presentation of Agnes Pockels.—
Mariel Carr,
Scientific American,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Eva’s romance with her husband, Franklin Plaskett, delights and amazes her.—
Adelle Waldman,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The piercing sunlight frightens her.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Like the 1987 Kurt Vonnegut novel from which the restaurant took its name, Bluebeard encourages guests to drop their guard, surround themselves with other people and try something that frightens them a little.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shocks. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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