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
ABC News, 31 Mar. 2026
That conflict has caused cascading global energy shocks as Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz and effectively cut off a fifth of the world’s oil supply, and Middle Eastern countries have bombed each other’s oil and gas infrastructure.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
Government officials have not disclosed the rationale for the request, which came amid global oil shocks and soaring energy prices brought on by the Iran war.
—Matthew Brown, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
But surviving a stress test is different from being designed to absorb shocks and recover.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
But a series of energy shocks, nevertheless, could be concerning.
—Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
The war has sharpened that contest, by showing once again how vulnerable the global economy is to shocks emanating from the Middle East.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 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
Analysts said a unique component of the fallout from the Iran war is that, unlike in previous oil shocks, renewable power has become more competitive in many countries around the world.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
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
That can change if a patient has an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, which shocks the heart back to beating normally.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Jan. 2026
Violence shocks neighbors Neighbors said the violence unfolded in just seconds.
—Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
Noun
Analysts partially credit the stability to a mature domestic biofuels industry that allows the country to withstand geopolitical shocks with minimal risk of fuel shortages.
—ABC News, 31 Mar. 2026
That conflict has caused cascading global energy shocks as Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz and effectively cut off a fifth of the world’s oil supply, and Middle Eastern countries have bombed each other’s oil and gas infrastructure.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
Government officials have not disclosed the rationale for the request, which came amid global oil shocks and soaring energy prices brought on by the Iran war.
—Matthew Brown, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
But surviving a stress test is different from being designed to absorb shocks and recover.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
But a series of energy shocks, nevertheless, could be concerning.
—Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
The war has sharpened that contest, by showing once again how vulnerable the global economy is to shocks emanating from the Middle East.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 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
Analysts said a unique component of the fallout from the Iran war is that, unlike in previous oil shocks, renewable power has become more competitive in many countries around the world.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
That can change if a patient has an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, which shocks the heart back to beating normally.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Jan. 2026
Violence shocks neighbors Neighbors said the violence unfolded in just seconds.
—Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shocks
Noun
-
Traffic collisions totaled 1,404, a 25% increase from 2024 and 10 traffic fatalities, compared to six in 2024.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Alongside these head-on collisions, particles also produce a constant stream of near-miss events.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Jake Oettinger of the @DallasStars surprises an @AmericanAir flight!—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Technology that feels upscale Where the Trax truly surprises is in its cabin technology.—
Sponsored Content,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Geopolitical scares that faded and allowed oil prices to recede.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
-
He’s also been involved in multiple injury scares to star players in the last year.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
28 Feb. 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
Noun
-
The ubiquity and strictness of regulation has real business impacts.—
Francesca Cassidy,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
That is nearly four months of its overall seaborne crude imports, which cushion short term impacts from the war.—
Anton L. Delgado,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shocks. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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